A New Rey
by mirdovermatter
Summary: SW AU: The First Order is planning one of the biggest attacks on the Resistance that the galaxy has ever seen. It will require the every stormtrooper and TIE Fighter the dark rulers can get their hands on. But when the Master of the Knights of Ren pulls aside a particularly strong Knight to aide him in his fight, will it be Kylo Ren, the Resistance or the First Order that falls?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction attempt, please tell me how it goes! I'm very open to suggestions. I also apologize if any reference to a star wars object is used incorrectly or is inaccurate, I haven't seen the older movies in awhile. I'm trying to use wookieepedia as much as I can to make up for this!_

...

I withdrew my Force hold on the imp of a man at my feet just enough for him to inhale. He sputtered and gasped, his lungs ablaze and his throat dry.

"Tell me again" I commanded, my voice coming out an irritated clip through the voice filter on my mask. I jabbed at his throat with the butt of my staff to remind him I could choke him again, but he fervently nodded.

"I'll tell you what you need! Please just let me breathe!" he choked out. I eased my staff off of his neck slightly.

"The resistance coordinates, they're hidden in a secret base on Jakku It's just south of the AT-AT graveyard!" he said and I grumbled. I hadn't been to back to Jakku since the First Order picked me up for training when I was little. I glanced down at his fearful eyes once before I knocked him out with a swift kick to the head.

"coordinate location confirmed" I said as I pressed the button on my wrist to activate the com in my helmet. I pulled my thick black hood over my head and listened as the General's voice rang in my ears.

"All information has been obtained. Return to the ship immediately."

...

All the Knights were thrust back into training as soon as we reached Starkiller. General Hux said the Supreme Leader thought our efforts on our last mission were dismal and that we needed to work harder if we wanted to keep our heads.

I spent most of training sparring with Mako Ren, but when his efforts to bat at me proved unsuccessful he retired to the shooting range. I found a few fighting dummies I smacked my staff into, but none compared to a real partner.

The training gym had a huge floor and tall ceilings. There were observation windows along the walls, towards the top of the room, where First Order officials could watch their fighters practice. There were a few climbing walls and ladders on either sides of the windows and they stretched up to the ceiling. In the center of the room was a platform, lifted slightly, with a rubber mat covering it. The platform was for sparring matches, which happened every week and were open to sign ups for anyone in the first order. The storm troopers participated more than the Knights did, but if anyone got into a scuttle it was most often settled there.

I was swatting at a punching bag for awhile when I heard the grumble of another Knight's voice filter. I looked over and two soldiers kept peeking up at the observation windows, and upon a look I quickly realized why. There was someone, sheathed in black, looking down at us, watching our efforts.

Kylo Ren very rarely interacted with us. He was usually on his own private missions, or he was concerned with a different part or ours. I'd only seen him once or twice in person, and I wasn't sure if this time counted.

He was wearing his usual black cloak, helmet and robes, but his hood was down today. His broad shoulders were hunched as he leaned on his elbows against the glass, watching us like we were prey. He was at least 20 feet above us, yet his Force signature was brooding so strong and red that it was hard to not notice his presence.

...

As the dinner bells rang, I exited the gym with satisfaction as I mentally reviewed my day's work. I got up to my chambers and quickly realized I was covered in sweat. I pulled my helmet off and force-fluffed my three now floppy buns back into their usual style along my head. I had been wearing all of my gear, but I was too hungry to remove it. I tried to keep most of my weight on throughout the day, many of the Knights didn't like that I was a girl so I tried not to remind them.

I heated up a bowl of Aurebash soup and turned on a holovid. I sat at my table and spooned it into my mouth while I watched some Naboo queen falling in love with a monster. I was about to open another packet of soup when the droid on my door began chiming, "Unidentified droid at door".

"Rey, of the Knights of Ren. Your presence has been requested at the command meeting in meeting room 6 scheduled to commence at precisely 2100 hours. Thank you!" The messenger droid chirped right before he scooted off.

Why would they want to see me at one of these meetings? I probably wouldn't be able to contribute to a command meeting, I don't know the first thing about making executive decisions. Peeking over at the time, I spent the two hours before the meeting using the 'fresher and changing into clean gear, pushing my helmet onto my head, and heading out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

When I entered the meeting room I came upon a shiny black table that stretched along the floor of most of the room. There were several chairs set up on either side of it, in addition to a platformed chair, unused, in the corner of the room. It was probably for when Snoke made holo appearances.

There were a few windows in the back of the room, looking out on a First Order star system. The seats beneath the windows were filled by Captain Phasma and General Hux. Phasma nodded as I approached the table, and Hux began to speak.

"Rey, of the Knights of Ren. We're very happy you are here." He said.

"Of course, General." I replied, my voice masked.

"As you are aware, the attack on the Resistance is our top priority at this moment. We need our best people in the best positions in order to succeed. Do you consider yourself a talented Knight?" He asked.

"I fulfill orders to the best of my ability, general." I said, unsure what the correct answer to his question was.

"Yes and you do quite well. Sit down, please. Remove your mask." He instructed and I did as he said.

"Excellent." He added with a smirk, and a look of confusion crossed my face as Phasma interjected.

"Rey, we want you to select the best of the Knights and join some of our elite storm troopers on a mission to capture Leia Organa. This is why we called you here." Her garbled, metallic voice came in loud and sharp in comparison to Hux's quizzical and mischievous tone. It was clear Hux's window of time to run this meeting was up.

"I can comply with any orders I am given." I stated and she nodded once.

"You will select nine other Knights, and you will be their lead Knight. Your group's training with Kylo Ren will begin on 3 days time."

Did she just say Kylo Ren?

"My apologies captain, did you say Master Ren is training us?" I asked, goosebumps forming on my arms. Master Ren was known for his outstanding abilities in combat, but more often for his temper.

"Yes, he will be. Your team will be trailing him in the mission to capture Organa." She answered. I took a few breaths and yanked my helmet back onto my head, despite not being given any orders to do so. What was I going to tell the Knights I picked? That they'd have to train with the most terrorizing being in the galaxy and pray they didn't lose an arm? We didn't have weapons the magnitude of his by any means, much less the skills to wield one.

"Is there anything else I need to know, Captain?" I muttered through my filter, my voice a garbled quip from the newfound anxiety that rested in my belly.

Master Ren?

….

After warming up, I took a step back to watch the other Knights fight in the gym. Phasma had given the Knights orders to use the platform as a sort of "wrestle off" where the best Knights would win, and would fight the winner of the previous match. This made it very easy to select which Knights would march with me into the temper chamber in a short 48 hours.

After an hour or so of fights, I felt a nudge against my force signature. I looked up at the gym Windows and saw Kylo Ren looking down at the platform. The other Knights sensed it too, for I felt a community tension in the Force.

The prodding was there for most of the day, even after Ren had physically moved away. It didn't cease until I reached my quarters in a much later hour. My personal conclusion is that Ren either retired to a part of Starkiller that was too far from the reach of the Knight's quarters or traveled to another planet.

Either way, I had submitted my list of soldiers to Hux, and I was going to have to get used to his pressing one way or another.


	3. Chapter 3

p class="p1"emspan class="s1"Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to get up, I've had a busy couple of weeks. Please tell me what you think!/span/em/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1".../span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"I was always the first person to arrive on training days. I liked to make sure I was on time, and I wanted to make sure I got the tools that I needed for a successful workout. I typically used my own staff, but I often needed a practice dummy or a punching bag. Punching bags were usually the first items in the gym to go. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"The first day of special training was no different. I stepped into the private rooms and found an instructor standing on the center mat, waiting patiently. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"The training gym had a network of dojo rooms that scaled deep behind the walls of the main gym. My team was assigned to a collection of five rooms, all rooms connected via a lack of wall on one or more sides. The center room was the largest, with no walls and only rooms connected to it. One would enter through a secondary room. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"I looked about the mat in search of a more ominous figure that was so promised to appear, but only the instructor filled my view. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""Where is Master Ren?"/span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""Master Ren is sorting out some business on Naboo and will be unable to train until he returns. I am here to make sure you all are in top physical condition upon his arrival. May I presume that you are Rey?" I nodded. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""Excellent. Debriefing will commence as soon as the rest of your party arrives." /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"The first few Knights entered the room as he spoke, and the rest dribbled in shortly after. I had hand selected each of these Knights and I had made sure that these were the fastest, strongest, and most coordinated of the specimen. As they filled into the room, they formed little groups of two or three and mumbled amongst themselves until the instructor cleared his throat. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"He explained that until Ren returned, we would undergo basic physical training. This was frustrating and seemed elementary, but I complied. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"We spent most of the day lifting weights and practicing our skills in the force, and after lunch we ran for awhile. This was how each day went, except for Fridays. On Fridays we were allowed to leave after lunch and do as we pleased, an earlier release than the 8 PM release we were allotted on most days. On these days I usually sought out extra training or found myself in my quarters drinking Corellian Rum and examining holovids of the clone wars./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"On the second Friday of dismal physical pursuits, I found myself still at the track despite the lack of companions. I planned for a shorter run, and as I started on the track, I felt a little tug at my skull. I glanced upward at the windows similar to those in the main gym and caught a glimpse of a dark silhouette./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"It appeared that Master Ren had returned. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"…./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"Saturday morning I had expected to see Master Ren in place of the instructor, however the rumbling fueled by anticipation that churned about in my stomach was soon ceased. I didn't bother asking why he hadn't come to instruct us, they wouldn't tell me anyway. Ren had much more important things to do than teach the Knights what they should already know./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1".../span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"I entered the dojos 5 minutes prior to 7AM, the same time as every other morning, but found the instructor with a look that was more serious than usual. I sensed his heart beating a hair faster than it had been the previous morning. A few other Knights entered moments later, and when they all had arrived, he addressed the group. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""Good morning." He hadn't spoken to us in a couple of weeks, when we first started training. We did the same things every day, and telling us what to do would be redundant. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""We will be doing something new from now on. Once the last man has entered the room, you will spar with one another until given further instructions. You may begin." He announced./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"I began sparring with Syan, and as I started to say something to him, I was cut off. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1" "gah!" I felt an immense pressure in my skull. I stumbled backwards slightly, dropping my staff and using all of my energy to push against the feeling that made my head want to cave in on itself. I yelped again and managed to contain it enough to catch my breath. I looked up at the other Knights and they all stared at me. A few had taken off their helmets in surprise. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""I apologize, I-" The doors behind the Knights, the ones they had closed when the last man entered, swung open and Master Ren stalked through the doors. It was his signature, I realized, that had pounded so violently against my head. It increased as he got closer to me and I stumbled aside as he strode forward. He approached the instructor, who said something to him and then hurried out of the room. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""Continue sparring. Force training will begin shortly." Ren barked, his voice deeper and more mechanic in comparison to most of the Knights' filters. Everyone continued again, but I didn't move. The pounding against my brain hadn't ceased, and it was becoming hard to keep myself on my feet. Ren turned in my direction and I felt the fires of his signature die slightly, as if he sensed my lack of oxygen. Did he pity me?/span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"I slowly bent down and picked up my staff with the feeling that my head was about to go careening into floor. I rose up into a stance and motioned to Syan, but his body paused./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""Should you fight, Rey?" He asked through masked lips./span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1""Yes, I'm fine. Approach me." I replied, and he took a step forward. As the light of Ren's signature dimmed a little more I was able to take a few shots on Syan. /span/p  
p class="p1"span class="s1"As I regained focus, I found myself more able to practice my shots. I was getting very into it until I felt a slight spark in my skull and I watched Syan freeze. Suddenly a black gloved hand appeared from behind me and grabbed the upper ridge of my staff. The hand thrusted it up, and I heard a click./span/p  
p class="p2""Keep your chest protected." grumbled the owner of the hand that had suddenly disappeared. I looked up at Syan and felt more than saw the shock he was feeling. I gulped and hesitantly planted my feet. Syan took a shot when Master Ren's presence was no longer felt./p 


	4. Chapter 4

I stumbled into the main gym after the day's training and I found myself extremely exhausted. Weeks of dismal strength conditioning had left me completely out of fighting shape.

Scrimmage-style fighting had consumed most of our activities, where the only other events consisted of force training and agility. My shots were off and my blocking was weak, and the most frustrating part was the fog that spent most of the day clouding my thoughts. Master Ren's presence was a weight in my head that I couldn't relieve myself of, even after I had left the dojos.

I drug myself into my chambers and tossed off each piece of my gear until I was reduced to an undershirt and leggings. I poured myself a cup of tea and crawled into bed, disregarding the pile of metal I had left in the kitchen and falling asleep faster than my drink could cool.

...

I stepped grumpily into the dojos just before 7 and waited for the rest of my group. As soon as we began sparring I could sense Ren nearing the room. We had been sparring for close to ten minutes when Kylo Ren entered the room. He walked to the main mat and spoke.

"Surround the mat" Everyone did as he commanded. His mask focused on Syan. He reached a large dark arm out and pointed at him, then pointed at the open area of mat in front of the group. Syan stepped forward.

His arm moved towards another Knight, Umbre, who then stepped forward.

"Five seconds with both shoulder blades pinned. No weapons" Umbre and Syan looked at each other, but everyone knew what he meant. They each removed their swords, knives, and blasters from their holds and hiding spots, and took waiting stances.

"Go."

While I don't know the physical status of many of the Knights, I knew that Umbre was a tall, broad, blue-skinned Twi'lek man whose tentacles were often resting together underneath his back plate. Umbre was usually one of the first Knights at the cantina on Friday evenings. I almost never visited the cantina, however Umbre had been on the First Order recruit ship that had picked me up from Jakku. He was one of the few who had seen me without a mask. We used to practice together a lot during training days, but he quickly became too large to work with someone my size so we found new partners.

Syan was on the ground before he realized that Umbre had moved. Umbre was larger and quicker than Syan, and Ren knew this when he picked them both.

"Enough" Ren growled as soon as Syan's back hit the floor. Both Knights rose, and the Master's head motioned to his left. Umbre stepped in the direction of Ren's head, and Syan moved to his right. He was doing what I had done with the Knights; He was wrestling them off.

He selected more Knights, and the winners went to his left and the losers went to the right. I was the last to fight, leaving me only with Lestros, a Knight taller than I but not nearly as quick. I was the fastest of the Knights of Ren, anyway.

He attacked too eagerly and I side stepped him just in time to see him lose his footing and fall. He spun onto his back and kicked his legs at me, but I leaped over them and landed hard onto his stomach. This caused him to heave, and I pushed his shoulders against the mat. When Ren grumbled, I rose.

There were five people to the left of Ren, so we watched two matches and I was allotted the by, since I was the fifth person to win a match.

Round three produced 3 winners, and the by was given to Umbre. I was faced with Shono, who didn't approach me as I had hoped. After moments or circling one another in attempts to stay on the defensive, I lunged at him and grabbed at his head. He was much stronger than I was, but I stuck my leg in between his and wrapped it around. I pulled him forward and he fell to the ground, and I counted my take down successful.

What was harder was getting him on his back. There was a power struggle for some time, but I decided to let him up just enough; I spun my legs around and pried his chest open, getting his shoulder blades to touch the floor. I barely held him there long enough for Ren to grunt. I let him up with short-lived relief, for I would have to face Umbre next. He who was twice my size.

Umbre wasted no time trying to pin me down, as I thought he might. He pounced over and over, and I leaped around him each time. This continued until one moment he lunched forward and I did a back handspring that sent my foot straight into his jaw. He gargled through his mask and grabbed my arm, swinging me hard into the mat. I rolled out of the way a second before his fist hit my helmet, and I kicked his side. I scrambled to my feet and he popped up, sending his fist at me again. I ducked and spun around, launching my right foot across his helmet. He reached for me but I grabbed his fists and redirected them down, which exposed his chest. I roughly pushed him backwards. I kicked his ankles and he stumbled, but not without grabbing my leg and pulling me down with him. I landed on his legs, which I punched down on while I blocked his fist with my forearm. I punched his helmet again and forced his shoulders down; as soon as they grazed the floor Ren grumbled and Umbre smacked me off of him. I crumpled down and hit the ground with a thud, yanking off my mask in a search for air.

The Knights were staring at me, and so was Ren. As soon as I found my breath my helmet found my head, but so did the signatures of everyone in the room. I growled through my voice filter and sat up.

"At the end of this week, each of you will fight Rey individually. If one Knight can defeat her, that Knight will fight everyone the following week. There will be no objections." Ren announced. I let out a moan and flopped backwards. This was going to be a long week.


	5. Chapter 5

Three weeks had passed and I had fought every Knight three times, and I had beaten every Knight three times. I approached the dojos on the Monday of the next week to find a messenger droid waiting at the door.

"Knights of Ren!" It chirped.

"No training today! Commander meeting!"

"Signed, Master Ren!" It finished. I looked at it quizzically. It was odd that he wouldn't just send an instructor, but would cancel training all together. The date for attack had to be nearing, not that I knew when it was.

There hadn't been much information given to the Knights in regards to the mission. We weren't told how we were going to capture Leia, what the overall mission was going to accomplish, when we were going to fight or where. All we were told was that Kylo Ren was leading us, an idea that on it's own made me a bit uneasy.

I went to the main gym and used the track for awhile, and as I ran I watched the Knights I hadn't selected test their skills with practice lightsabers. One Knight kept poking at the other with the blade, and I couldn't help but think that giving them real lightsabers couldn't be a good idea.

I hadn't ever seen Master Ren's lightsaber. I'd only heard about how it's cackling could make birds fly and how the sound of it piercing metal can be heard halfway across the base. I had seen repair droids fixing the broken wires from one of his tantrums, but I had never been there to see it do any damage.

After my run I retired to my rooms. I changed into a nightdress, which was nothing more than a long black shirt, and crawled back into bed with some Takodanian tree nuts. I found them in my pantry, a shipment probably came in and my food droid must've thought I would like them. I clicked on a holovid about a bunch of people flying around looking for two droids when I heard a knock at the door. A knock?

I climbed out of bed and shuffled over to the door. I peeped through the eye hole to see Kylo Ren standing outside, fists balled, pacing slightly. What in the stars was he doing here? Outside my room? Had he come to kill me?

I quickly pushed my helmet onto my head and pulled on my cloak to cover myself and I opened the door.

"Master Ren. To what do I owe this visit?" I asked shakily.

"They want to see you in Supreme Leader Snoke's chambers immediately. I was sent to retrieve you. Get dressed. " He spat.

"Of course, give me a moment." I mumbled as he stepped through the doorway and into my quarters. I ran into my bedroom and quickly put on my gear. I came running back into the entryway and he shuffled me out the door.

...

I didn't have the longest legs to begin with, but Kylo Ren was three inches shy of being a foot taller than me. Keeping up with him was tough.

I hustled behind him through several corridors that I didn't know existed, and I felt like I was running through a maze until we reached a pod. I stepped behind him into the pod and it shot downward, catching me off guard, into the depths of the base.

The ride down took about a minute and we were suddenly spit out into the entryway to Supreme Leader Snoke's chamber. I trotted behind Ren as he stalked across the walkway and up to the massive chair ahead. He stopped in line with the large, empty throne and motioned for me to join him on his right. I did so, and after a few moments, several blue light crystals began to fly and take the form of the Supreme Leader.

I had never had contact with him, I suppose I had never had a reason to. I was always just a soldier, and the First Order did little when it came to moving up the authoritative ladder. Most Knights didn't know what the Supreme Leader looked like. After a moment of thought, I wasn't sure I knew for sure.

I had heard he looked like a skinny bald thing with a lot of scars, however looking at him then I noticed he also had on a cloak. The most outstanding physical aspect of him was his size. I wasn't sure if it was the hologram that enlarged him or if he was really that big, but it was domineering.

"Supreme Leader" Ren said, kneeling. I kneeled next to him and repeated his words and tone in a higher pitched garble.

"Kylo Ren. You have come to tell me about the Knights." The Supreme Leader's voice boomed through the room, creating a chill as if he were here.

"Their abilities are improving. They have more use for The Force and their fighting is not as disgusting." Ren replied. Disgusting? I didn't think I was that bad.

"Good. I hear there is one particular Knight that is different." The Supreme Leader groaned and his beady eyes rested on me.

"Yes, Supreme Leader. I have brought the best of the Knights, as you requested. Rey."

My name sounded weird coming out of his voice changer. He'd said my name a few times, but not enough for me to be used to it.

"Good. Ren, and Rey, you both may rise. Rey, tell me what you have accomplished." I waited for Kylo Ren to stand before I stood then spoke.

"I have fought and defeated each of the Knights I selected to assist in the capture of Leia Organa. I have used the Force to deflect blaster fire and destroy buildings. I have mastered the use of a staff." I recited. The Supreme Leader seemed to nod, and looked to Master Ren.

"This pleases me. This Knight will be the Knight that goes with you to capture Leia Organa." He started, and Ren nodded once.

"You will see to it that this Knight is trained beyond what is given to the other nine." He continued, and another nod.

"How you choose, is to you. speak with General Hux about the location of Leia Organa when you make your plans." He finished.

"I will do as you command."

"Good. I will speak with you soon."

"Supreme leader" Ren murmured, and Supreme Leader Snoke disappeared into the air.


	6. Chapter 6

I snuggled up in my bed after Tuesday's training and was moments from a deep sleep when I heard a harsh pounding on the door. Before I could get out of bed I heard the door being shoved open. The heavy footsteps of my intruder came closer and closer and by the time Kylo Ren had swung open my bedroom door I was crouched with my staff in hand. His outfit blended in so well with the darkness that consumed my room that he was tough to see, but the faint light caught the lighter detailing in his helmet and it glinted slightly.

"Master Ren?" I mumbled, red and embarrassed that he kept appearing while I was in bed and ill-prepared.

"Why are you never ready when I arrive? Do you not sense my impending presence through the Force?" He scolded. Admittedly, I had felt his signature, but since it was a constant feeling I had pushed it to the back of my mind in search of sleep.

It was odd, however, that he knew I was aware of his proximity. In an ordinary situation I would think he could sense my signature, however Kylo Ren was rarely around me enough to have noticed it. I only saw his because he was the Master of the Knights, my leader.

"I-I apologize, I will dress as quickly as possible." I fumbled around my area and grabbed my materials.

"What might be the reason for your visit, Master?" I asked.

"Your training begins tonight."

...

My helmet clunked around on my head as I followed Ren into the gym reserved for commander training. The commander's gym included a full weight room, a fighting mat, and a track surrounding it all. It was a similar set up to the main gym, but was smaller and lacked resources like a pool and practice dummy variety. There was a glass door in the very back of the gym that lead into an agility chamber. It was late, and there weren't any others in the gym. I followed Master Ren onto the fighting mat and nearly lost my breath.

As Kylo Ren stepped onto the mat he had taken off his mask and was currently running his hand through his long, dark hair as he searched the room. His thick lips pursed slightly, and when his dark eyes flicked over me I had to thank my helmet a thousand times for hiding the color that had filled my cheeks. He was so human, and so different than I had expected, and so... easy on the eyes.

"Leave your staff here. " He grumbled. I had half expected his voice filter to also be a translator for some dialect of which I had never heard. That was the second thing I had expected, where the first was that his face was made of red goo.

"Y-yes Master" I mumbled as I pulled it from its ties on my back. I placed it on the the mat as he turned and motioned toward the glass door.

I climbed ropes, scaled platforms, and averted countless obstacles that made three hours of training feel like thirty. By the third completion of the full course I was completely exhausted. Daily training and all of this agility had drained me of almost all of my energy. As I climbed the most treacherous wall for the third time, he spoke. He hadn't spoken since we had entered the room, all he had done to communicate with me was turn on the agility course and point towards it when he wanted me to go through it again.

"That's enough. You clearly have no problems with this." He said as his eyes looked over my figure as sweat began to darken the cloth parts of my suit.

"Go into the gym. Run on the track until I tell you to stop." He decided.

I ended up running six miles while he stood by the start line and watched. I found myself stripping off most of my heavier equipment as I ran, leaving me with my helmet, a thin synthetic long sleeve, leggings, and boots. Kylo Ren hadn't said anything as my armor fell.

I was covered in sweat and I was close to removing my helmet when I heard him grumble.

"Stop." I turned to him as I crossed the mile line, my chest heaving. I was physically and mentally exhausted, and it was extremely late. His fist clenched slightly at his side.

"Fighting mat." He muttered. As I walked to the mat I tried to find air, which resulted in my removal of my helmet as I picked up my staff from its resting place on the ground. I tossed my helmet to the ground and ran my hands over my buns, adjusting them with a mix of my fingers and the Force. I felt a slight spark in the back of my mind and looked over at the dark figure that had appeared on the other side of the mat. He pulled a dark, metallic tube from his hip and ignited a sparking red lightsaber. It's glow lit up the entire room and I felt goosebumps greet my sweat as I realized that all I had to defend myself from the most terrifying weapon in the galaxy was a staff.

My staff was no ordinary staff. It was forged from phrik but was not quite the electrostaffs from many years ago. It's design was more ribbed and it did not emit electricity. Before I was picked up from Jakku, I had a plasteel staff that I used to defend myself when other scavengers would attempt to take my parts. When the First Order found me, they quickly replaced my staff with one that would deflect blaster bullets. I did not complain.

He practically pounced on me. I was constantly dodging his blade and his body, his motions too quick for me to make any attacks. He would lunge at me and I would jump aside, then before I could take a shot he would lunge again. This went on for several minutes until I managed to jump around him and jab his back with my staff. It only took moments for him to Force push me away from him and send my body flying against the wall. I struggled up from the ground onto my knees, my chest pounding and my shoulder aching. I climbed to my feet and dodged Ren again.

After a few minutes of dodging, he began to quicken his pace. Suddenly I found myself moving faster than I've ever moved, I was constantly jumping aside and sweeping under his blade. It became too quick, so much so that I dipped too low and fell on my back. I laid there for a while as his blade moved dangerously close to the left side of my face. When he retracted it, I shut my eyes and searched for enough oxygen to stand. I sat up and looked up at him, and he looked into my eyes for a moment and took a step back. I slowly got to my feet and tried to find a defensive stance when he shook his head once.

"This is all for today. You don't have to go to training tomorrow, just find your way here at noon and we'll do some Force training." I barely nodded as he picked up his helmet from where it rested on the ground and clicked it onto his head. I tried to commit his face to memory as his mask whirred into place.

"You are dismissed." His voice box squeaked out.


	7. Chapter 7

The commander's gym was busier in the daytime than at night. I shuffled past a few officials and entered a small dojo reserved for Kylo Ren. I rolled out a meditation mat and settled onto it, removing my helmet as I sunk down. I was in the middle of a meditative rhythm when I felt an electrocution in my skull. I screamed and writhed about the floor, clutching my head. I pressed my back to the floor and cried out again, searching for air, a sound, anything. It felt as if my thoughts were being split in half.

I didn't hear the door open. I didn't realize Kylo Ren had entered the room until I turned over and creaked open an eye enough to see his black boots. He crouched down and held his hand near my forehead, and the pain became absolutely excruciating.

"You need to keep your mind blocked. I don't need to hear your every thought." I looked at his emotionless mask through teary eyes.

I huffed out a breath once, twice, three times. I couldn't breathe, I could barely see.

"Push back." He ordered. I tugged at the pressure, but it was no use. I couldn't think.

"do it." He commanded again. I mustered up all of my energy and pushed everything out of my head. He pulled his hand back but didn't move.

"Good. Anyone can look in your mind, you don't guard your thoughts at all." He grumbled as he stood. I stood up as he pulled his mask from his head. His cheeks were pink and his face looked intense. I watched his black curls fall from their place in his mask and tickle his chin and in response I found myself wondering if a curl would wrap all the way around my smallest finger. His brow furrowed slightly.

"Build up a wall. Without a wall, even Jedi mind tricks will work on you. You need to keep yourself protected."

He leaned down to my height and stretched out his hand, the leather barely brushing my cheekbone and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I felt him starting to creep into my mind, I felt the flames of his mind burning away at my thoughts. My head was heating up and it felt as though my head were becoming a furnace. As the flames grew my cheeks turned red and I felt my blood rushing to my face. I scrunched my eyes shut as I realized he was cooking me from the inside out.

I thought of the snow outside the base, the snow that fascinated a lot of the younger recruits. Coming from Jakku, It had fascinated me.

I thought of the icy landscape of Hoth, a place I had only visited for basic training. Learn to deal with any weather, they had said.

I thought about how the cold had been so new to me, how my sweat had frozen and how I could never decide whether my stomach was cold from caloric burn or from the air.

I felt the heat leave my mind as if icy spears had poked it out of the hold it had on me. It soon disappeared completely and left me feeling as though soft snow was at my feet.

I broke out of my trance and realized Kylo Ren's hand had changed from grazing my cheek to gripping it. His breathing was heavy and his eyes watched my chest heave. His hand lingered for a moment and when his eyes met mine he released my cheek, leaving my skin with an odd nudity.

"That was mediocre. Your signature is still as obnoxious as ever. The resistance fighters will sense you from a planet away." He grunted. It had taken all of my energy to push him out, I couldn't imagine how I could improve on such a thing if I was this out of stamina.

"It'll get easier, but it needs practice" He remarked, and my face turned red. He'd heard my thought, or maybe he'd gone looking for it. What else had he heard?

"-And a mind that isn't cluttered with distractions" he added as he pulled his helmet onto his head. Oh my stars.


	8. Chapter 8

After training individually with Master Ren, I found training with the other Knights lacked the challenge that the commander provided. I had no issues with any of the activities, and Ren made no movements that would indicate he was going to toy with my mind with such an audience.

I noticed, however, that the other Knights' thoughts were quite loud. I supposed the abilities I had gained from Ren's training had made me more sensitive to the Force, but there were plenty of thoughts I did not want to hear. What Umbre thought of me when I knocked him off his feet, for example. Or what Lestros' evening plans with a female officer entailed, as another example.

Kylo Ren made Shono spar with Umbre, and not a moment after Shono formed a thought about Ren, I watched Ren's wrist make an almost unnoticeable flick and Shono stumble. He looked confused for a moment, but stepped up to Umbre nonetheless. Master Ren looked at up from the mats for a moment and focused on me. He nodded once and I flushed beneath my mask, realizing immediately that he would notice regardless and averted my thoughts to something cold.

...

I sat in a meditative stance, mirroring the dark figure seated across from me. His equally dark eyes were on mine, and something inside his deep stare drew enough courage inside my chest to speak.

"Do you always hear the thoughts of the Knights?" I asked. His lips pursed, and he nodded.

"It is quite difficult not to. They make no effort to quiet themselves. They practically scream each and every thing that runs through their mind."

"Do you listen to everything?"

"I try not to. Some things slip through every now and then."

"Do you hear things about you?"

"Yes. Most thoughts during training are about me. It often becomes hard to...practice restraint." He said and shut his eyes.

The terror that Kylo Ren instilled upon the general public was one part from his abilities and one part from how he used them. He was notorious for being short tempered and often exercised that lack of control. I had never seen him in heat, only the remains of one of his tantrums, but the magnificent rips across the steel walls and the spark of electricity from broken equipment was information enough. It is said he once got so angry that he sliced a TIE fighter in half, man inside and all.

"I've started hearing their thoughts." I told him.

"The other Knights, I mean."

"This doesn't surprise me. Your Force abilities have been growing. Use them to practice entering a mind. Theirs aren't very difficult to dissect." He replied.

Looking at him with his eyes closed was a different experience. So much of his emotion was expressed starting from his eyes, which made his reasons for using a mask very clear. With his eyes shut his face looked smoother and without anger. It looked almost warm.

His eyes suddenly flicked open.

"summon your staff." He said. As it made contact with my hand he whipped out his lightsaber and I barely had time to lift up my staff before the blade was out and was flying towards my face.

"Always be prepared to defend yourself." He said softly, as if his weapon weren't only inches above my head. I nodded and he shut it off, returning it to its hiding place at his belt. He was crouched above me now, the tip of his nose close enough to brush mine. His eyes gazing upon me made me shiver.

"You need to focus. If you were focusing you would have seen that coming. " He whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

_Hands, warm hands, whose palms grazed my neck-_

 _And whose fingers pressed against my jaw._

 _A pair of lips that adore my neck and broad shoulders that loom over me like an oak tree._

 _Hands,his hands, ran along my form, on my back, then my chest, one on my stomach. His black curls tickled my skin._

 _"Please, commander" I heard myself say._

 _A hand grabbed my backside and fingers reached for my slit..._

I shot up in my bed, my chest heaving and my bottom half throbbing. That was by far the most exotic dream I'd had, and also the most terrifying. I had had a dream about my leader, and even worse, a lustful one. I groaned as I pulled myself out of bed and reminded myself that I was a Knight of Ren, who's purpose was not to satisfy my dirty dreams. I pulled on my helmet, picked up my staff, and grumbled out the door.

...

I was finding my way to training when I found the entire hallway leading to the gym smoking and shredded. The metal walls had rips up and down them and the door had a lightsaber blade-sized hole shoved through it's middle. There were pipes broken and a few things carried small flames. Several lights were sparking from above, and pieces of glass were everywhere. I reached out and touched one of the slices, and the metal was still hot to the touch.

The inside of the gym didn't look affected, as if Kylo Ren had decided to play off the idea that he hadn't just destroyed the hallway when he walked in.

I stepped into the dojo and he looked up, and I immediately sensed anxiety and heat pouring out of him. He was standing in the center of the dojo, but was facing the window in an adjacent dojo when I entered. His chest was heaving, and I noticed his fingers tightly wrapped around the hilt of his lightsaber. I thanked the stars that he kept his mask on for regular training, because I don't think I would've been able to focus had his face been visible.

It was an oddity that Ren was here so early-he was usually the last to arrive, long after everyone was well into sparring.

He took a step towards me and Shono came out of the door. He stopped moving but kept his mask turned toward me.

Lestros came through the door behind me and moved towards Shono. Another came and I realized I was still standing there staring at Ren when I should be sparring. I turned to the Knight that just walked in and he lifted his axe. I looked at Ren for a moment then looked back at the Knight, then pulled out my staff.

...

I delivered a swift kick to Shono's chin and my staff followed it almost immediately with a hit to his cheek. He stumbled and I spun my staff around and jabbed his stomach, sending him onto his back. Lestros approached me from behind and I dodged his blade, hitting his side with my staff and spinning it again to counter a small attack from a beaten-up Shono.

Ren had assigned a doubles match, and the Knight I was fighting alongside had been knocked out early on. This deficit left me facing Lestros and Shono alone, which wasn't impossible but was quite inconvenient.

I swung my staff into Shono's chest and he toppled to the floor next to his severely KOed partner. He glanced up at me and I held my staff by his head. I looked to Master Ren, who's Force signature suggested he had been in fight or flight mode since we arrived.

"finish him." He commanded. I looked down at Shono. His mask had been smacked off during the match, and his face was bruised. I lifted my staff and hit his chest, knocking the wind out of him and rendering him unable to continue. I looked back at Ren and he nodded once.

"This will be all for today. You are dismissed." He barked, and Knights began filing out. I helped Shono and Lestros up and tried to ignore the waves of hate towards me that radiated off of them. I followed them to the door and looked back at Ren, and I could sense a desperation coming from him that I couldn't place.

...

Upon arriving in my quarters, I stripped off my gear and heated up a packet of soup, trying to forget all that consumed my thoughts the previous night. I was halfway through watching an episode of an ewok reality show when a messenger droid chirped from behind my door.

"Rey of the Knights of Ren!" It spouted out.

"You have been summoned to the chambers of Master Kylo Ren!"

What?

"Your presence is requested immediately! Thank you!" It finished, then scooted off.

Any private information about Commander Ren was unknown to any of the soldiers, Knights and Stormtroopers alike. It is rumored that he was seen at a bar on base once and that he entered only because his liquor cupboard hadn't been restocked in a days time, but this is not a rumor most people believe.

I picked up my cloak and pulled it around me, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, and grabbed my mask. I couldn't imagine what this could be about, and I prayed to the stars he hadn't been paying attention when I had that horrible inappropriate dream. Perhaps he was planning on killing me for it, but didn't want to do it in front of everyone.

I knew where the official's chambers were, but I didn't know where Master Ren's was for sure. The droid didn't mention it's location either. I entered the official's hallway, imagining how many time these walls were probably replaced. I looked at each door, trying to figure out which one might be the Commander's.

I searched for him in the Force and followed the heat that radiated from him. It lead me to a door at the end, which had I looked at it I could've assumed it was his without using the Force.

There were several hundred marks of repaired metal covering the door, and the keypad looked as if it was hanging on by a thread. The metal surrounding it was dented and parts had burn marks. I tapped the call button on the keypad and after a few moments, the door slid open.


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: This chapter is NSFW! if this is not ur thing you aren't missing much. Just skip to the author's note at the end!_

...

Kylo Ren's unmasked and disgruntled face looked down upon me from the doorway.

My stomach dropped. Even with anger expressed so plainly on his face, his freckles were still perfectly placed, and his full lips still looked as inviting and pillowy as ever. He was wearing a black long sleeve undershirt that emphasized his broad shoulders and muscular arms, leather gloves, and a pair of trousers that fit nicely around his thighs and tucked into his boots. He looked so clean and perfectly put together. A shiver flew down my body and I tried to push these ridiculous thoughts out of my head as fast as possible.

"Rey" he cooed.

"C-Commander Ren, I received word that-"

"Yes, I called for you. I need to discuss a few things with you regarding your training performance." He replied and glanced about the hallway once as he summoned me through the door.

My heart was beating a thousand beats a minute. I was about to be killed. He was going to kill me. I could not believe that my mind, of all things, would be the reason I get killed off. I was hoping I would have a much nobler way of going.

Ren's chambers were larger than mine and on first glance consisted of a larger kitchen with a bar, dining room, and seating area. There was a long wide window in the seating room that looked into a bedchamber through dimmed glass, a bed whose sheets were white in an otherwise dark room.

I took a few steps into his chambers and was suddenly Force pushed 5 feet. My back was pinned to the wall and my feet dangled a few inches above the floor, and I couldn't move my legs. This was it, I was going to die. My chest was heaving as I gazed upon him, his arm outstretched, my entire being under his control.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He growled. Tears tipped the edges of my eyes and I shook my head, praying he couldn't tell how freaked out I was behind my mask. He took a step closer.

"Do you think I don't pay enough attention to you?" He took another step closer. What?

"Do you think I don't see your tight little ass moving around when you're fighting?" Another step. He was incredibly close to me now, his lips were by my ear.

"Do you really feel it necessary to taunt me?" He whispered, and I felt like I was about to melt. He was so terrifying and so alluring.

"You know I can take whatever I want."

He paused for a moment before ripping my mask off my head and pressing his lips to mine. His lips were hungry and possessive and sent electricity coursing through me. His hand cupped my cheek as he slipped his tongue in between my lips. I felt another hand on my butt, supporting me as my legs were freed from the Force grip I was surrendered to. His hand left my cheek and touched my chest, then my stomach, then joined his other hand and grabbed my rear.

His lips found my neck, their motions deft and persistent. As he kissed me, it left a trail of fire across my skin. His hands found the collar of my shirt and before I could reach to pull it up he had ripped it in half in his impatience. He grabbed my bra and pulled it down, my breasts popping out.

"Fuck" he murmured as he cupped my chest, causing a breath to escape from my lips. The leather of his gloves created new sensations against my bare skin. I felt his hardness move from my stomach downward as he bent down and kissed my chest; his tongue licked my nipples hard and fueled the pooling between my legs.

He moved again, ripped the band of my pants with his hands and pulled them down. I was completely naked, with my glistening cunt exposed. He smirked and moved his mouth to my ear.

"already so wet for me." He slid his gloved hand down to my slit and pressed his finger inside me, and I let out a little moan. He bit behind my ear and I gasped.

"So tight too" he added, pulling his finger out and rubbing my clitoris in little circles. I moaned again, a little louder the second time.

"I can't take you here. Somewhere else." He said, removing his hand and leaving my cunt aching and throbbing.

He picked me up wedding-style and carried me into his bedchamber. He threw me onto the bed and I landed on my back as his hands pushed my legs apart. He pulled off his gloves, trousers and his boxers, his thick and hardened member popping up from underneath the cloth. It was tall and pretty, with a vein running down it's side and a pearly white drop of pre-come sitting nicely on it's tip. He climbed over me, his shirt brushing my pink perky nipples. He pressed the tip of his firm cock against my clitoris and I moaned, and he smirked again.

"You like that?" He cooed and I nodded. He rubbed his tip against me, and I felt myself climbing a mountain.

"M-Master Ren..." I moaned, the stimulation felt so good on my cunt that I was begging him to pleasure me.

"I've been waiting all day to hear you moan like that" he grunted, and slid his entire shaft inside of me in one movement. I yelped, his member nearly splitting me in two. He pulled it, coated in my wetness, all the way out then quickly shoved it back in. I moaned loudly and it prompted him thrust more and with a quicker pace.

I began to climb faster, each thrust hitting me in all the right places and making my breasts bounce. He started rubbing my clitoris with his digits while he pounded into me, and when he sped up again I felt my insides throbbing and begging for release. He felt so addicting inside me, a fullness I hadn't experienced on any level. I felt my body tensing, and suddenly I peaked, my walls convulsing around his cock.

"Ohh Commander Ren" I moaned loudly as I came. He grinned and thrusted more and more, his shaft soaking with my fluids. He grabbed my breasts as he slid into me, then moved a hand down and gripped my buttocks. His hair was falling in his face, his black curls a small curtain for his pink cheeks and heated breaths. His pupils were large and his eyes ate me alive. There were a few beads of sweat on his forehead and his thrusts became more feral as his lust increased.

"Fuck" he groaned. He pushed into me once, twice, three times, then pulled his cock out in time to come on my chest. It shot out in warm, wet throngs, coating my breasts and tickling my nipples. He climbed off of me and pulled on his undershorts then looked down at me.

"You...you should clean yourself up." He mumbled, reaching out his arm and catching a towel that flew towards him. He handed it to me and watched me for a moment while I wiped away his semen. He looked into the foyer, where my shirt lay ripped in two in one corner and my bra in another. He turned and opened the door to a glass wardrobe. He took out a pile of black undershirts and shuffled through them, pulling out one near the bottom.

"This is smaller. It will work for now." He said and I nodded as he handed it to me. I pulled it over my head and it was, needless to say, huge on me. I got up and pulled on my pants, observing the rip 3 inches deep in the waistband. My skin was slightly exposed but the undershirt covered it. I stepped hazily into the foyer and found my bra was also destroyed, the clasp in the back had popped off when Kylo had pulled at it. I collected it into my arms along with my shredded shirt, and found my helmet in yet another corner. He came through the bedroom door as I rested my helmet in my arms. His expression looked an odd mix of satisfaction and darkness. He approached me and grabbed my cheek, pressing his lips to mine as if I were the last water on earth.

"You should go, you have training tomorrow and you're going to be sore." He said to me, still gripping my cheek. He kissed me again and let go of me, and I pulled my helmet onto my head. He leaned his head close to mine and began to whisper.

"Do not tempt me like this again. I do not have the patience to engage in these games with you." He warned as the door slid shut, separating us in a wall of dented steel.

...

 _Author's note:_ _non-graphic summary: Ren has been acting all wild because he's attracted to Rey! and they have sex, therefor altering their relationship completely. woo hoo! onto chapter 11!_


	11. Chapter 11

I shut the door to my chambers and slid down it until my bottom touched the floor. I couldn't believe what I had done. I couldn't believe I had slept with the Commander. I couldn't believe how much I liked it. I couldn't believe how much I wanted to do it again.

I grudgingly got up and fumbled to the kitchen, pouring myself a dazed cup of tea and crawling into bed. I was still in my torn pants and oversized shirt, so I summoned a nightdress and changed without getting out of bed. I pulled the covers up to my chin and turned on a holo vid that I couldn't get two minutes through before falling to sleep.

...

When I got to training the following morning, I was surprised to find an instructor in the place of the dark, hooded figure I was used to seeing. When Kylo Ren didn't come to training it was often because he and I had our private training; his absence today was odd.

I completed training without any issues, but also without any excitement. The training with the instructors was nothing compared to the one with Kylo instructing, but even less so compared to private training.

As I walked back to my quarters I looked out the wide window that stretched across the hallway wall. I approached it and looked upon the snowy cape that blanketed the bottom of the base. I lingered for a moment and continued my walk.

As I turned the corner, I saw Master Ren stalking towards me from the opposite end of the hallway, and I felt my body tense. I felt a flicker of heat in the back of my head, but Ren made no physical indication of recognition. As he passed me, I took a step back and nodded to him, as I was trained to do upon interactions outside of the training room.

He looked at me and continued his stride, and the fire in my skull flickered brighter as his mask turned to me, but dimmed after he left.

...

Upon my return to my quarters, I found a messenger droid waiting for me.

"Rey! Of the Knights of Ren!"

"You have been summoned to the commander's gym for private training with Master Ren!"

"Your presence has been requested immediately!"

"Thank you!"

I looked at the droid, watching as it scooted off. I bit my lip as I tried to decide what state my life was in at that moment. Ren had called me to his room, took what was mine, avoided and ignored me, and now was calling me to private training. I could not determine what was happening at all.

I made my way to the private dojos and when I arrived I found Kylo Ren, already there, meditating. The moment I stepped in the room I could feel heat pulsating from him through the Force. His eyes popped open and another wave of heat hit me.

"We're meditating today." He said, shutting his eyes.

I sat beside him and shut my eyes, trying to focus. When I meditated I typically thought of an ice cube sliding down an endless plane, and the trail of water it left behind despite never melting completely. Today, I could not focus on such things. The only thing I could think about was the fact that the man next to me had ran his hands all over my body not even 24 hours previously. All I could think about was how warm his skin was and how much I wanted to touch his hair. I shook my head and tried not to think of such things.

After awhile, I couldn't handle all the unanswered questions in my head, that I spoke.

"Are you going to pretend last night did not happen?" I asked, keeping my eyes shut. I felt a fire spark as he opened his eyes and flicked them over to me.

"I would be rather upset if it had not happened. I have every intention of acknowledging it." He replied coolly.

"This morning I had a commander meeting I was required to attend. As for right now, despite how much I want to take you right on this meditation mat, we need to train." He added and my cheeks got hot. I shut my eyes and tried to clear my mind again, but all I could think about were the freckles on his face and how defined his arm muscles looked in his clothes. I huffed out a breath.

"I cannot focus." I stated, my eyes popping back open.

"I will think of something else in terms of...training related activities." He replied, embarrassing me yet again. He knew the exact reason I couldn't focus, and he was wallowing in it.

"We'll go into the gym, you can run some. Put your mask on, I'd rather the other officers not look at what isn't theirs." He said as he put his own helmet on his head.

I got to the track and began running. I could feel Kylo's eyes on me as I ran but I tried to focus on running. I had to get myself focused or I wouldn't be able to do my job at all.

After running for about an hour, Ren stopped me. I was panting and I could feel sweat creeping throughout my body.

"That's enough. Hopefully that's exhausted you enough to focus on your meditation."


	12. Chapter 12

I shut the door to my chambers and slid down it until my bottom touched the floor. I couldn't believe what I had done. I couldn't believe I had slept with the Commander. I couldn't believe how much I liked it. I couldn't believe how much I wanted to do it again.

I grudgingly got up and fumbled to the kitchen, pouring myself a dazed cup of tea and crawling into bed. I was still in my torn pants and oversized shirt, so I summoned a nightdress and changed without getting out of bed. I pulled the covers up to my chin and turned on a holo vid that I couldn't get two minutes through before falling to sleep.

...

When I got to training the following morning, I was surprised to find an instructor in the place of the dark, hooded figure I was used to seeing. When Kylo Ren didn't come to training it was often because he and I had our private training; his absence today was odd.

I completed training without any issues, but also without any excitement. The training with the instructors was nothing compared to the one with Kylo instructing, but even less so compared to private training.

As I walked back to my quarters I looked out the wide window that stretched across the hallway wall. I approached it and looked upon the snowy cape that blanketed the bottom of the base. I lingered for a moment and continued my walk.

As I turned the corner, I saw Master Ren stalking towards me from the opposite end of the hallway, and I felt my body tense. I felt a flicker of heat in the back of my head, but Ren made no physical indication of recognition. As he passed me, I took a step back and nodded to him, as I was trained to do upon interactions outside of the training room.

He looked at me and continued his stride, and the fire in my skull flickered brighter as his mask turned to me, but dimmed after he left.

...

Upon my return to my quarters, I found a messenger droid waiting for me.

"Rey! Of the Knights of Ren!"

"You have been summoned to the commander's gym for private training with Master Ren!"

"Your presence has been requested immediately!"

"Thank you!"

I looked at the droid, watching as it scooted off. I bit my lip as I tried to decide what state my life was in at that moment. Ren had called me to his room, took what was mine, avoided and ignored me, and now was calling me to private training. I could not determine what was happening at all.

I made my way to the private dojos and when I arrived I found Kylo Ren, already there, meditating. The moment I stepped in the room I could feel heat pulsating from him through the Force. His eyes popped open and another wave of heat hit me.

"We're meditating today." He said, shutting his eyes.

I sat beside him and shut my eyes, trying to focus. When I meditated I typically thought of an ice cube sliding down an endless plane, and the trail of water it left behind despite never melting completely. Today, I could not focus on such things. The only thing I could think about was the fact that the man next to me had ran his hands all over my body not even 24 hours previously. All I could think about was how warm his skin was and how much I wanted to touch his hair. I shook my head and tried not to think of such things.

After awhile, I couldn't handle all the unanswered questions in my head, that I spoke.

"Are you going to pretend last night did not happen?" I asked, keeping my eyes shut. I felt a fire spark as he opened his eyes and flicked them over to me.

"I would be rather upset if it had not happened. I have every intention of acknowledging it." He replied coolly.

"This morning I had a commander meeting I was required to attend. As for right now, despite how much I want to take you right on this meditation mat, we need to train." He added and my cheeks got hot. I shut my eyes and tried to clear my mind again, but all I could think about were the freckles on his face and how defined his arm muscles looked in his clothes. I huffed out a breath.

"I cannot focus." I stated, my eyes popping back open.

"I will think of something else in terms of...training related activities." He replied, embarrassing me yet again. He knew the exact reason I couldn't focus, and he was wallowing in it.

"We'll go into the gym, you can run some. Put your mask on, I'd rather the other officers not look at what isn't theirs." He said as he put his own helmet on his head.

I got to the track and began running. I could feel Kylo's eyes on me as I ran but I tried to focus on running. I had to get myself focused or I wouldn't be able to do my job at all.

After running for about an hour, Ren stopped me. I was panting and I could feel sweat creeping throughout my body.

"That's enough. Hopefully that's exhausted you enough to focus on your meditation."


	13. Chapter 13

"I said to lift Shono, not throw him across the room!" I growled as I caught Shono mid-air and set him down. I Force-pushed Kona off of his feet and he stumbled.

Training these people was like pulling teeth. They took everything very literally and often missed the point of what I would say.

"Everyone needs to focus! we are leaving for D'Qar very soon." I barked, spinning my staff and smashing the butt of it into the floor.

It had been days since I'd felt Kylo's presence on the base. I could feel his fire flickering in the back of my skull, but it hasn't been so greatly enflamed since he left. I had so often focused on it that I found myself looking for other things in the Force during moments of quiet.

The base attack was fast approaching. We had been debriefed not long ago on the plans that pertained to the Knights of Ren, and more specifically, the trailers of Kylo Ren.

The spies currently on-base begin by cutting the power. There are no-doubt numerous generators, but a quick power surge will give the storm troopers time to land their ships.

The troopers will begin attacking from the ship hangar entrance. The Knights of Ren will land shortly after the troopers begin to move. The Knights I selected will travel in Ren's shuttle and the others in a separate shuttle. They will land in the west entrance, and our team will wait until they've secured a path into the base before we descend. Once we do, we will make our way into the base and will seek out Organa. The spies have word that in an emergency situation she will most likely retreat to the command center to lead the forces, so we will fight our way there.

Once she has been removed from the facility and is secured in the hands of the First Order, the soldiers on D'Qar will seek out other prisoners from the list of resistance authorities and will try to obtain control of the base.

...

After training's early end, I trotted back to my quarters and found a holo pad waiting for me on my kitchen counter. It had a note open, with full details on the invasion, including the siege and the date.

As I realized how shortly the date would arrive, the door into the kitchen swung open and Kylo Ren stumbled through it, bringing every bit of the Force with him. Before I had time to ask how he got into my quarters he swung a large arm down and wrapped it around my torso. He grabbed me and swung me over his shoulder, then proceeded to leave the kitchen and enter the bedroom.


	14. Chapter 14

CH 14

The Knights had been pulled out of missions since training commenced, and thus it had been months since I'd put on my field gear. It was darker in comparison to my regular gear, and tougher to crack into. These particular articles of clothing were new, I had noticed. I had been given a cloak, something I was not accustomed to but Kylo wore quite often. My chest plate was heavier and my staff had been switched out and replaced with a larger metal beam with a Force-sensitive grip. I willed it to ignite and two bolts of electricity shot out from both ends. I had been given an electrostaff.

I snapped the cloak to my shoulders and pulled the hood over my helmet. The skirt of it slipped along the backs of my feet and flickered up as I walked forward. I groaned at the early hour and grabbed my staff as I headed out the door.

There weren't many officers roaming as they usually do; most were either already in the ship hangar or moving towards it.

I stepped into the hangar from an upper west entrance and peered over the railing. The hangar was open to my right and the shuttles and fighters were positioned for launch. There was a small stage set up and I noticed a few Knights in a discussion. There were all sorts of troopers, waiting in lines to be addressed by their leaders. Soldiers were still coming and going, for they were not to be in order for another five minutes.

The Knights on my team wore cloaks with a deep maroon trim, thick in it's width, while the other Knights' cloaks were simply black. I noticed this on my cloak as well, a feature I had thought nothing of.

I trotted down the steps and made my way behind the stage. I saw Umbre talking with a few troopers. I looked about and my eyes rested upon the scurry of beauty technicians that surrounded Hux. He was to address the growing crowd, and as vanity demands, he needed to look respectable. My head turned and I spotted Kylo stalking towards the stage from an eastern entrance. Two troopers marched behind him and I noticed the body gloves that peeked out from underneath their armor was a familiar shade of maroon.

Hux stood from his chair and motioned for everyone gathered to find their positions. A whistle blew and I could hear the soldiers on the other side of the stage moving about and settling into their organized lines.

The troopers that followed Ren in stepped behind Hux, who began walking up onto the stage. Kylo stood and the bottom of the steps, with Umbre and me standing at either side behind him, and waited until Hux had found his position on the stage. When Hux did so, he began moving and we followed. This is how it went with each official, until everyone had found themselves in front of the troops.

The Knights were to my right and were situated in rows of 8, with a member of my group at the head of each row. In the center there were several groups of troopers, including shadow troopers, jump troopers, and almost any other variation imaginable. It seemed as though they'd assigned regular troopers to new positions just to cover all of the bases. The pilots and any officials not high enough to receive a spot on the stage were in rows to the left. The envy that emanated from the officials reached me as soon as I lay my eyes upon them.

"Today is the end of the republic..."

…

"...and will remember this, as the last day of the Republic!" Hux screeched, and every trooper raised their left hand. He signaled the crowd, and the troopers turned in unison and made for the shuttles with organized speed. Kylo turned 180 degrees and looked and us.

"Head for the shuttle." He commanded, and I followed behind Umbre.

Ren's shuttle was pitch black and had long wings that stretched out on either side of the ship. A door dropped down from the side and we entered the shuttle to find several chairs in the center, a cockpit a few steps to the left, a few beds to the right and a door. Two pilots were sitting in the cockpit, but the shuttle was otherwise empty.

I approached the beds and realized each bed had a pack for each Knight resting on it. There were four bunk beds that popped out of the wall in the main room, and I opened the door to find a new room with six more beds lining the left and right walls. There was another door straight ahead, but was locked with a keypad. I found my bed, the middle bed in between Umbre and Kona.

The ride to D'Qar would be a long one. It was a planet in the outer rim and would take a few days time to get there.

When I exited the bed-filled room I found the other 8 Knights walking about the shuttle. None of us had been in it before, so exploration was floating through everyone's minds. Shono was looking at an array of holo vids that had popped out of the wall at the push of a button and Lestros was spinning in one of the central chairs. I could sense Ren approaching the shuttle and I whistled, grabbing the attention of the Knights in the room. A few popped their heads out from behind the door.

"Master Ren is near, quit touching things" I commanded and they shuffled into seats.

He entered the shuttle and everyone rose, as practiced when seated and an authority like Kylo Ren enters a room. He waved once and people sat, walked around, and retrieved food from a wall compartment.

After a few minutes, the captains ordered us to take our seats. Ren stepped down into the cockpit and took a seat with the captains while we sat in the center of the shuttle. Someone below the ship gave the captain a hand signal and we lifted off the ground, following the TIE fighters and shooting into hyperspace.

...

As I woke from the shred of rest I had gotten due to the other Knight's yelling, I looked up to find a completely empty room. A few of the beds had been made, but many had just thrown their sheets around. I heard shouting and laughing from the main room. I laid back down and sighed, wanting anything but to be thrown into a tiny space with a bunch of intergalactic males.

I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest, shutting my eyes and thinking about the solitude I had enjoyed in my quarters on Starkiller.

I got up and pulled my hair into buns. I tugged my cloak around me and pulled the hood up, then I grumpily stepped into the other room. I shuffled past the other Knights, who were engaged in a game of holo chess that had incited yells from each of them more than once.

I walked down the steps to the cockpit and moved past the pilots. There was a door behind them, which I opened and found a small kitchen. I opened the tiny fridge, pulled out a tube of apple sauce, and exited the room. when I returned to my bed I curled up in my cloak and tried to meditate my way to sleep.

…

"All passengers to a seat!" The pilot announced as Knights scurried about the cabin. There were several of them dressing, eating and looking for things. I tugged my hood over my helmet as I settled into a seat.

The ship was approaching D'Qar, and the only thing preventing the pilots from landing was the lack of go-ahead from the troopers.

One of the pilots clicked on his com, looked at the other, and nodded.

"Okay!" the other pilot chirped.

You must follow close behind me. A voice in my head ordered. I looked up, my cheeks hot at the sound of Kylo's voice, as if it were whispering in my ear.

"We're about to land on D'Qar!"


	15. Chapter 15

"Brace for landing!" The pilot yelled, and I held onto the sides of the chair as the shuttle thudded across the muddy bottom of D'Qar. I felt my helmet shake around my head and my hood toppled onto my shoulders.

When the shuttle came to a complete stop, Kylo Ren got up out of his chair and adressed us.

"Prepare to exit the shuttle. Do not stray too far from each other, and do not let anything withhold you from completing the mission." He barked, pulling his hood over his helmet and pushing his cloak off of his shoulders and behind his back.

The door dropped down and exposed the battle scene. Ren stalked out of the ship and a few Knights ran ahead of him and knocked away some figures in orange garb. I trailed behind him.

The air was thick and hot, and if it had not been so moist I could've closed my eyes and found myself on Jakku, which would've been a sick fate.

There were contrails from fighters criss crossed throughout the sky, planes blowing through the air and whirring above our heads. Blaster shots flew through the air from every direction. I watched another shuttle land to my left and 30 fresh stormtroopers came spilling out of its doors. There were resistance fighters wherever you looked; some fighters were ducked behind ships, some behind trees, and some rustling in the bushes. The booms of explosions could be heard in the distance. Someone far away was sent flying through the air.

As we approached the base I watched several storm troopers back up, launch a small explosive, and create a hole in the side of the building. Ren held out his hand and Force-pushed the new rubble out of the way. A couple cinderblocks were strewn to his side and smashed right into a grounded resistance x-wing. It caught flame but everyone was preoccupied.

Two Knights jumped in the hole and Ren stepped onto the edge of the opening, his hand against the side. He looked around and jumped down after them, his Force willing us to follow. I stepped onto the edge of the opening and dropped into the base, landing in a hallway illuminated by now sparky LED pipes that ran along the edges of the walls. Kylo pointed down one direction of the hall and the two leading Knights began to move. Ren left two knights by the hole to ensure the First Order's control over the newly created entrance.

We ran down the hall for some time as it sloped slightly to the left and we finally came upon a door with a handprint reader. A knight stepped up and tried to read a previous handprint, but he took to long and Kylo grew impatient. He Force-pulled at the door and it collapsed inward, exposing a small fleet of resistance fighters that were very apparently waiting for us.

Several blaster shots fired and were immediately stopped and reversed, but not all had been foreseen. I watched a blaster hit Shono in the shoulder and he toppled to the floor, distracting some Knights long enough for another shot to hit Syan. I looked up in time to deflect a shot away from my body with my electrostaff. A fighter approached me and I swung at him with my staff, sending electric shocks through him as metal made contact with his skin. He crumpled out of the way and I Force-stopped another blaster shot a foot from my head. I sent it back and whipped my body around just as another fighter attacked me. I delivered a kick to his chest and knocked him out with a punch in the jaw.

I turned around and watched the other Knights finish off the rest of their squad. Kylo's head nodded in a forward direction and he stepped over five or six resistance bodies. We looked to Syan and Shono, who were in pretty bad shape. I sensed him contact the medics and he grumbled an instruction to keep moving forward.

We continued through the halls and down several flights of steps. We came to another handprint reader and Ren wasted no time destroying the door. it opened into a large hangar that had several levels of walkway lined up and down the walls. There were automatic blaster cannons pointed at the door, which shot as soon as the door came down, and one shot hit a Knight behind me. I deflected a shot with my staff and sent it spiraling into another cannon, which exploded on contact. Lestros shot at a few, and another Knight threw something at the last one.

We began climbing up a ladder that reached up along the curved walls of the hangar and stepped onto a platform. As soon as a Knight's foot hit the steel, a fleet of fighters came running out from a hallway attached to the platform. The rest of the Knights scrambled up the ladder to assist the overwhelmed Lestros, who was leading the group.

We knocked several off the platform but they kept coming, and the fighting ground was very small. I started to see more and more fighters when suddenly Ren waved his arm and everyone froze in their places. I was frozen as well, and I watched through my helmet as Kylo picked up fighters and threw them off the side of the platform with no resistance. After tossing most of them, he turned his gaze to the wave that was in the middle of entering. He held out a hand and they all crumpled to the floor. He waved his arm again and each Knight stumbled into control of their own bodies.

We climbed the next ladder towards a platform that stretched across the diameter of the hangar. As the second to last Knight climbed up, the last Knight got hit with an arrow from a crossbow and let go of the ladder. We didn't have time to watch his body fall because the wail of a Wookiee completely distracted us. We turned and we saw it across the platform, giant and holding a dangerous weapon. It shot another Knight and I held out my hand, gripping its consciousness and causing it to pass out.

"We're close" Ren grumbled, his signature reaching through the Force. He stepped over the unconscious Wookiee and continued.

"Stay close. Remember the goal." His light saber sparked into ignition. I held out my staff and I took a step forward. I approached a door and I could practically smell victory. I kicked open the door and leapt inside, my staff up and in position to defend any impending attacks.

All I saw before I passed out was the look of a very distraught Leia.


	16. Chapter 16

p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I woke up with a start. I was sweaty, and when I tried to sit up I hit the top of my head on the concrete roof of the tiny bed cubby I had not put myself in. I laid back down and rolled myself out of the hole in the wall, and stumbled into a rather large cell. There was a table and a chair in the center of the room, and a toilet carved into the far wall. The leftmost wall and part of the far wall were metal beams that functioned as a wall for other cells adjacent to the one I was in. There weren't any people in them, as far as I could tell. On the table was a holo book titled "a history of galactic wars". I approached it, looked around, and tapped it. The screen flicked on and opened to a page in the book. I began reading what it said, but found the horrible slanders written about the First Order to be too much. I clicked off the holo book and frowned. I sat on the floor and leaned my back against the concrete wall. I shut my eyes and tried to figure out what my latest memory was./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I know we landed on D'Qar for the attack, I am most likely still on D'Qar. We got into the base, so perhaps that's where I am. The last thing I was certain occurred was a Knight getting shot by a Wookiee. I'd thought the infiltration was going very well, however I cannot remember what happened after I saw the Wookiee./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I was still in the black long sleeve undergarments that often hid beneath my gear, however my gear was nowhere to be found. My boots were sitting on the floor by the bed cubby and my cloak was folded next to them. I reached over and grabbed my cloak, pulling it around myself. I spotted my helmet sitting by the door. My staff was also missing./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The hall my cell was in was quiet and small. There were only 3 other cells in the hall and to my knowledge all three were empty. I shut my eyes and tried to search the Force for other signs of life. I sensed people outside the doors into the hall, and I sensed the Force signature of Leia Organa. I shifted to the soldier next to her, a mind much easier to explore than hers. I focused on his information that ebbed it's way through the force. His thoughts and his memories clouded around his conscious. I willed them out of the way and finally entered his mind, finding his eyes and his ears as only an observer./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"em"...are you sure it's going to do our organization any good?" Finn said./em I allowed the soldier's brain to fill in the identification blanks./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"em"It disrupts Ben, and we know how he'll react when he gets disrupted. Also, the First Order's resources aren't entirely depleted. They still may want to negotiate for her." Organa said./em The First Order, depleted?/p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"em"She's just a Knight." Poe replied./em/p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"em"Just trust me, okay? This one is worth holding on to." Organa said, then paused. She looked at the soldier I was observing and narrowed her eyes./em/p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"em"Sooth, do you have a headache?" She asked./em/p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"em"A little bit, why?" He replied./em/p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I pulled myself out of his head, though it was clear that Organa had already noticed my presence. I leaned my head back again and kept searching through the Force. /p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"I scavenged the base, my strength in the Force allowing an easy reach of a mental arm. I looked throughout D'Qar for any recognizable signature, but the few sparks were so foreign. I found my mind reaching further out into the Ileenium system. As I stretched into the outer rim, I felt a speck of a spark that sent chills throughout my body. It was him./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Kylo Ren./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"My eyes flicked open. I looked around the cell and flicked them shut again. I sat up against the wall and tried to meditate. I wasn't going to reach Ren without complete focus./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"As I slipped through the cracks of meditation I thought about the Force, it's grip on everything around me, how it floated in thick invisible tendrils along the air, how it ran through me. I thought about the Darkness of the Force, how destined it seemed for me to wield such ability, how perfectly crafted my skills were for such a side of the Force. I thought about the security the First Order had provided, and the success I had found within it. I thought about the days with a growling stomach that couldn't be silenced. I thought about the bead of hot sweat that trickled down my temple as I reached for a space ship that wasn't coming back./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"It took all of my energy to follow the flicker of light that was already difficult to find. I focused on the speed at which the ice in my head melted when Ren entered the room. I discovered that it wasn't his authority that brought my chest to life, it was him. It wasn't primal lust that made me want him to touch me, and it wasn't fear of disobedience. It was him./p  
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"After a vigorous mental struggle, I grabbed ahold of Ren's eyesight and was greeted with a blaze of red light. Metal was flying everywhere and all I experienced was a quiet destruction. I tapped into his ears and heard the screeching of titanium being ripped to shreds. A circuit board got slashed and wires came popping out, several of them sparking. I watched for a moment before he stopped abruptly and looked up from his toil. He looked at his reflection, and I saw that some of his hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat and there was heat behind his eyes. His expression looked surprised with a hint of his previous anger. He looked at the mess he'd made and looked at himself again, and mouthed "Rey"./p 


	17. Chapter 17

I sat up against the bars of the leftmost wall and rested my head back as I took a bite out of the roll they gave me and focused my hand on turning the chair that levitated in front of me. I took another bite out of the roll and set the chair down on top of the table that blocked it from the floor.

I hadn't interacted with anyone. I'd been asleep or meditating every time someone dropped off food or new clothes. These drop off times were probably intentional, however I wasn't too upset that the resistance didn't talk to me. They couldn't have had anything interesting to say anyway.

I hadn't been able to contact Ren since that one night of immense focus. As soon as he'd recognized me, I'd felt a stabbing pain in my skull and heard a boom, and he'd pushed me out.

It had been hard to keep myself occupied while I was in the cell. I wasn't ever sure what time it was or how long I'd been in there. Most of my attention was focused on keeping my physical and Force strength up, however I also meditated and flipped through the thoughts of some of the fighters on the base.

I lifted my hand again and willed the table to leave the ground, taking the chair with it. I ate the last bite of my roll and raised my other hand, levitating the food tray in the corner and placing it on top of the chair.

All three were in the air when the hall door opened and Leia Organa stepped through it.

"Rey" She said, standing by the door though it was closed.

"Leia" I replied.

"How have you been feeling? I understand they've been feeding you" She said. This was the weirdest small talk I'd ever encountered. She knew exactly what was going on, I could not understand why she was attempting to make conversation with me.

"Why are you here?" I asked, ignoring her question. Her lips pursed and she took a step toward me.

"I came to see how you were doing, to see what kind of condition you were in. I see you've been keeping up your skills in the Force" She said, motioning vaguely to the objects floating in my cell.

"How I'm doing doesn't matter. Let me go, you're only antagonizing Kylo Ren by keeping me here." I snapped back.

"Well that's the intention, we'd like to negotiate with Ben and get the First Order to withdraw it's forces on Republic entities, perhaps even encourage the First Order to disband all together." I leaped up and the items I'd been controlling flew against the wall.

"The First Order will never agree to such a ridiculous surrender! Supreme Leader Snoke won't allow such demands!" I shouted, clenching my fists and compressing the table with the Force.

"It probably won't, but you being here alone should at least get Ben here." she replied coolly. I was appalled. How dare they think The First Order would so easily fall to their demands! It would be the galaxy's savior, the force that would keep these demons from destroying everything in their path!

"I know you think the first order is the best thing for the galaxy, but the people who live on these planets think differently. I'll come see you later" She said, and stepped out of the room. I shouted again and thumped to the ground.

….

Losing myself in thought had kept me occupied for quite awhile, but eventually I found myself needing a new distraction, for which I was mentally out of resources. I had engaged in physical training, mental training and Force training, and I'd even "walked" through the entire base to determine the best way to escape if I could get out of this cell.

I rolled out of my bed cubby and landed on my hands and knees on the concrete floor. I decided push ups would be acceptable, so I pushed my legs out from under my knees and glanced up once. I stopped just before I was ready to move down and looked up again. In the corner of the cell, under the pile of table I had left some time ago, was the wretched holo book I'd attempted to read when I'd first gained consciousness. I willed it towards me and when it arrived, I clicked it on. It was still on the page I'd left it, so I clicked on the table of contents and scrolled until I selected a chapter about Pressy's Tumble, the only chapter that had a name I was familiar with.

Part of joining the First Order was learning the history of the galaxy, the First Order's role in liberating oppressed planets from the terrorism of the new republic, the strife in avenging the Sith, the purpose of the Death Star and Starkiller and their differences, among other things. During these lessons, one of the things we learned about was the storm trooper's victory in subduing the overtake on a First Order-owned mining colony.

This book told the tale differently.

This chapter outlined the fleshy, under-discussed states of the miners, the distrust for the First Order that brewed from the lack of sustainability among workers, and the hasty and relentless destruction of the First Order's own hired workers. I was taken aback.

As one of the few in the military ranks that was hired and not bred, this was a surprising and disgruntling discovery. I'd always been happy to comply with whatever the First Order had demanded of me, mentally because it seemed right and physically because I was being taken care of. Food and a bed made it quite easy to agree with what you're told.

I read another chapter, and i felt my heart begin to race. There were stories I'd heard, books I'd read, completely torn to shreds by the overwhelming amount of evidence this book spat out each time I tapped on a page. Videos of villagers being killed in events in which the stormtroopers had been told they were out of line or rebelling. In one video, I almost thought I saw myself.


	18. Chapter 18

There was fire, so much fire that I could not see. I could smell it burning wood and I could feel it's embers singing my skin. I was sweatier than I'd ever been on Jakku. I heard the crackling of invisible flames ringing in my ears.

I saw him, helmet lost, an enraged look warping his facial features. His hair was tossed in every direction and gleamed with sweat, his eyes flickering with anxiety and destruction.

He stormed towards an average sized egg colored alien with skinny features and a dark cloak, who sat on a high chair . I recognized this alien.

I looked to my sides and all I saw was darkness. I felt as though I was part of the wall. Perhaps I was.

"They took her!" Ren yelled, his voice raspy and unstable.

"Yes, I saw it in the Force before you landed"

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you call off our mission?"

"I did not foresee us leaving without Organa. The Knight would have been a small price to pay for the success of the battle."

"A small price to pay? She is the strongest weapon we have, with training she'd be the best soldier in the First Order!"

"She is still just a soldier. Our priorities right now are not directed at one person. I've heard enough of this, it is embedded too thoroughly in your thoughts."

I felt myself being pulled backwards as the scene disintegrated in front of me and I felt myself waking up.

I flicked open my eyes, but the heat of the fire wasn't gone. In fact, the fire was much more real, so real that it was visible to the eye.

I rolled out of bed and willed my staff into my hands. I looked at the scene in front of me ; the metal bars of my cell had been burnt, the walls had been burnt, and there was a huge hole where the door used to be. My change of clothes from the resistance was a pile of ash, and I was happy I had changed into my regular robes.

I stepped over the little flickers where the bars of my cell had been and ran out of the room. I entered a room with a chunk of the ceiling sitting in the center of the space. The computer systems on the walls were enflamed and there was smoke everywhere. I kicked a small door down and was greeted with fire.

I looked around and realized all other exits were electronically locked.

I looked at the chunk of concrete in the center of the room and jumped up on it. I leaped up and grabbed ahold of a pipe hanging from the ceiling. It held my weight, so I used it to pull myself out of the hole. I pulled my body onto the roof.

I found myself outdoors, surrounded by trees while the building burned. I looked around and watched resistance fighters running away from the building in all directions.

I felt a presence in the front of my skull, and when I turned I saw Kylo, maskless, moving towards me at an inhuman speed with his lightsaber ablaze. I felt his body crush me on impact and his arms wrap around me. As soon as he had me he lifted me over his shoulder and held me there with more weight than I could resist. He jumped off of the roof and and into a patch of wet grass. He continued running, into the woods and between the trees. I felt his hair flick against the open skin by my neck as I watched the resistance base disappear behind the trees.

After awhile he stopped and I heard his heavy breaths in my ear. I heard a door swing open and he entered his shuttle.

….

As soon as the door closed he pulled me off of his shoulder and kissed me. His lips ravaged my mouth while he gripped my shoulders and held me up at his eye level.

He pulled away and looked me over with eyes filled with more worry and rage than I had ever seen in a person.

"What did they do to you?" He demanded.

"Nothing." I replied, and I felt his hands tighten and his mind press at mine through the Force.

"What did they do?" He demanded again.

"Nothing! They just put me in a room." I said again. I felt one arm pull me against him. He was close to me, I could smell the faint aroma of sweat and the familiar scent of the cleaning solution the first order used on clothes. His clothes were dirty, I was surprised the smell still remained.

I felt his fingers touch the back of my head, lightly inspecting each bun with respect to the delicacy that kept them up on the back of my head. I felt his hand move to my back, keeping the same observatory touch while his eyes did a physical scan of my face.

"Kylo" I said, snapping him out of his trance.

"Where is your crew?" I finished. He looked over and set me down.

"I came to get you alone. The First Order only knows I left, but I'm sure Snoke can assume where I went." He said.

"In fact, we should leave. Sit down, and strap in somewhere."


	19. Chapter 19

I opened my eyes and was greeted to the nostalgic darkness of the small quarters for Ren that were tucked behind the little room I had slept in on my last trip onto this shuttle. It was nice to sleep in a bed, but I suppose anything would've been better than that cubby the resistance had stuck me in. I pulled the sheets off of me and pulled my cloak around me.

I supposed Ren had slept in here as well last night, but he had to get up frequently to man the shuttle; I hadn't had a full night sleep in over a month, I was out like a light.

I shuffled into the main room and stepped down near the controls. I sat in the chair next to Kylo and pulled my legs up to my chest. He looked up at me. His facial expression looked distant but I felt a pulse in the Force and I watched the corner of his mouth experience the faintest twitch.

"You're awake." He said.

"yes, I slept very well. Thank you." I replied.

"where are we going?" I asked. I'd fallen asleep in my chair during takeoff, so Kylo got me to move to the bed.

"We can't return to the First Order. Smoke gave me an order that I completely disobeyed, and even if he hadn't it's in shambles. "

"So where are we going to go?" I asked.

He made a face that made me feel like I wouldn't like the answer.

"It's a city planet, a big one. I figured a lot of people around us will make it easier to disappear."

"Where is it?"

"Coruscant" I looked at him for a moment.

"That would be a dangerous place to get caught by the republic." I said and he nodded.

"We'll blend in, pretend we're other people. We'll have to be convincing." He said and I nodded. He glanced at the control screen and back up at me. When his eyes met mine, they softened.

"I don't have to look at this for a little while." He stated, and I watched his brow furrow and his pupils widen.

"Would you, want to go into the bedroom, with, me?" He said slowly, his face an expression I'd never seen before. I nodded.

He stood up and gripped my shoulders, picked me up out of the chair and carried me back into the bedroom. He laid onto the bed with his back against the pillows and stretched his long legs out, and pulled me into his lap. He pulled my body to his chest and he kissed me, and I could feel his body heat as he held his large arms around me. It was a completely unfamiliar feeling. I hadn't ever been this close to him. It was so different and soft and warm and un-Kylo.

He began to kiss me with more fever, and felt a pressing against my leg as Ren became grabby. He shifted my legs across his hips and rested me square on his growing erection. I felt his hands reaching under my thin robes and palming my breasts. I let out a sigh as his lips moved to my neck. He released my chest and pulled my robe off of my shoulders and onto my hips, exposing me from the waist up. He pulled me towards him and thrust his face in my chest, his teeth grabbing my nipples and his lips sucking. I looked down moaned softly at the right of his thick lips on my breast, the sensation of his attention trickling down to my cunt. His hands grabbed my waist and pulled the robe off of my body, leaving me naked in his lap. He put his hands on my hips and guided them against his bulge. I felt him smack my bottom and a little yelp escaped my lips, to which I watched the corner of his lip twitch.

He moved his hands from squeezing my rear to my hips, then trailed his thumbs to my pussy. He moved his fingers slowly in between my lips and spread them slightly, exposing my throbbing clit and causing it to rub against his massive erection. My eyes snapped shut as sparks ran through my entire body.

"K-kylo..." I moaned, grinding my hips against his hardened mound. My back arched as the smooth leather became slick with the wetness from my cunt. My jaw dropped as Ren guided my hips against him.

"My god" he groaned as his hands moved from my hips to my butt, smacking my ass again and creating a yelp within my chest.

"I love watching you tease yourself" he whispered, his words laced with desire. I put my hands on his forearms as he guided my hips.

"Oh fuck!" I gasped as his hand landed sharp on my ass.

"Look at you, completely naked and fucking your own pussy" he taunted.

"Too bad fucking you is my job, or I could watch this all day" he grunted, yanking the front of his pants down and exposing his pulsing cock just in time for him to push me onto it. I moaned loudly, his dick stretching me. He grabbed my hips and shoved himself deeper inside me.

"Oh, Kylo" I moaned. I lifted myself up to the tip and moved back down, his shaft already covered in my wetness. He ran his hands through his hair and rested them on the back of his head as I moved myself along him.

"yes, ride my dick" he cooed. I felt his eyes trace my chest and follow my tits as they bounced. His eyes rested on my pussy. He moved a hand to it and massaged my clit. I began panting. With each thrust his fingers pressed firmly on my throbbing clit as his cock filled me. I was moaning loudly, begging for release.

"Come for me" he demanded.

"Oh Kylo, your cock..." I wailed, sensation heightening in my pussy.

"Louder, baby" he teased as my hips sped up.

"Oh...oh FUCK!" I yelled as my cunt exploded and my whole body pulsed. My chest heaved and I gasped for air as my body shuttered around him. I caught my breath and looked at him. His large lips were parted slightly, he had a little lock of hair falling onto his forehead and a tiny bead of sweat rested on his temple. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes looked hungry.

I only looked at him for a moment before I felt myself being flipped onto my hands and knees. Kylo's cock entered me quickly and I yelped as he grabbed my hips. My back arched as he thrusted again. I could feel every inch of his thickness inside me. I felt his hands touching my back, and moving to my chest, to my neck, through my hair.

"You're so beautiful. I'm going to come" he moaned, his hips hitting my skin. He thrusted once more and groaned, his come filling me as his lungs pulled air through his nose. He pulled himself out of me and laid on the bed. After a few heavy breaths, I felt him tug my arm and pull me onto him. My bare skin touched the cool material of the shirt we wore. He wrapped his large arms around my exposed body and held me to his chest in what might've been the weirdest display of emotion I had ever seen from him. Sensing my confusion, he released me.

"I should go check the path" he said as he rolled off the bed and stood up. I nodded as I watched him fumble with his pants. He readjusted himself and looked at me for a moment, then left the room.


	20. Chapter 20

I shuffled out of the room after taking a short nap. The activities earlier in the day had taken a lot out of me, even if it had been just after resting.

I stepped into the main room and rested my eyes on Ren, who was seated at the controls and was facing the window. His eyes were shut and his hands rested together in his lap. His back was upright and his long legs stretched out under the command tables. I barely sensed a pattern in his breathing.

After watching him for a moment, his eyes flicked open. His pupils dilated momentarily then returned to their usual dark state. His upper lip lifted slightly.

"Rey" he whispered.

"Kylo" he looked up at me, his brow furrowed as if he were deep in concentration. I approached him. I sensed a cloud of red distress floating around his thoughts.

"What is it?" I asked. He looked at me.

"We're low on supplies, we'll have to stop somewhere soon. I don't know where and I don't know if anyone will be willing to help us. We could get spotted by someone at any moment in any of the systems nearby." He looked at the holomap and sighed.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have gotten you. At least you'd be guaranteed food and security if I hadn't." He mumbled and I shook my head.

"They were going to use me as a bargaining piece, they might not have kept me around if I wasn't of any use. " I replied.

"We'll never know." He shrugged. I still sensed something about him that was filled with worry.

"What else is it?" I asked and he shook his head.

"Nothing I want to discuss." He said. I thought about it and decided to try pressing him.

"Kylo, tell me." He made an irritated face.

"I don't know." He started.

"I used to be a student of Luke Skywalker's, as I'm sure you know. When I went to join the first order, I destroyed the entire academy. They weren't able to rebuild.

Right before I left the First Order, I destroyed half of Starkiller. I don't know if they'll be able to recover from that. Coming to get you, I destroyed the Resistance base, the thing my mother spent her life working towards. I'm not sure of their recovery either.

I've successfully destroyed everything about me, everything I've touched." He finished, his eyes looking down at his lap.

I felt a hand reach out to me through the Force. I took it and I felt myself become submerged in his memories.

 _There are tons of people scattered around a ship bay, many of whom are children. There are a few small ships entering and_

 _exiting, but most of those around are searching for the same thing._

 _A boy no older than seven with ears much too big for his head stands anxiously waiting the ship that will take him far from the loading dock he now shifts his feet on._

 _A man with tousled hair and a woman with a bun on each side of her head stand with the large eared boy. The man rubs the boy's shoulders._

 _"Are you excited to become a Jedi?" He says to the boy, who shakes his head._

 _"I don't want to go! I want to stay home with you." He says._

 _"Well mommy and I have a lot to do, we won't be home with you very much. And Uncle Luke will be there, and you like Uncle Luke don't you?" He asks and the boy shakes his head. The woman looks away as the ship arrives._

The scene dissolves as a new one forms.

 _At the bottom of a hill rested a temple of stone, with open walls that looked one way off the edge of a cliff whose bottom dipped into the ocean. The waves on the rocky coast could be heard faintly. there was not much of a tide today._

 _A boy with jet black hair sat with his body facing the sea, his facial expression one of frustration and his eyes sealed shut. Locks of hair tickled his forehead and the tips of his ears. He cannot be older than twelve._

 _Two adults, one a man with a light beard and a woman with braided hair walk to the top of the hill. They're discussing the boy, whom they've identified as a source of their distress._

 _The boy senses them but doesn't open his eyes, for he's trying desperately to meditate but can't seem to silence his mind. They approach the temple._

 _"I don't want to talk." He says._

 _"We just want to help you. You can't shut us out. Master Luke is here to teach you how to control your thoughts and your actions, it would be best if you worked with him." The woman says._

 _"I don't want help. I can handle myself just fine."_

The second scene dissolves and a new one forms.

 _There is a meadow far west of the temple with a flat rock seated at it's center. There are few flowers in the grasses and few clouds in the sky, with trees on the outskirts of an area with almost as much roundness as a circle._

 _A boy with an only slightly filled frame has his back to a girl with flowing hair. He stands near the rock as she takes a step towards him. His hair has grown out slightly and his ears seem to make a little more sense. He's most definitely seventeen._

 _His facial expression indicates he has no desire to continue the conversation, though she presses._

 _"Just tell me what's changed!" She says._

 _"It doesn't matter. You're training to be a Jedi, you shouldn't care so much about this." He says. His eyes look to the ground, though she cannot see them._

 _"I know that's not why you're acting this way. Something's happened. It's like you aren't you anymore." She says._

This scene dissolves and a fourth scene forms.

 _There is a dark room with a spotlight on a familiar chair. There is no other source of light in the room besides the spotlight and a few dim lights along the walls. A door at one end of the room slides open._

 _A man dressed in crisp black robes enters the room and kneels some distance before the chair. He's quite tall and his hair touches his shoulders. He carries a mask and his cloak looks untouched. His eyes look dark. He is twenty three._

 _A small, slithery looking being enters from a door hidden by shadows at the other end of the room. He rests on the chair._

 _"Supreme leader Snoke, I have eliminated the Jedi. They no longer stand in our way." He says._

 _"Excellent. Your training is nearly complete, Kylo Ren." The being says._

The fourth scene dissolves and a final scene forms.

 _A ship with side wings waits in a ship bay with it's doors open. There aren't any people around and the few workers seem unconcerned with the ship._

 _A man of age thirty in dark tattered robes storms towards the ship, lightsaber in hand. His face looks enraged and his eyes leak with emotion. His hair is unkempt and sweat sticks it to his forehead._

 _He shuts the door, and soon the ship leaves the bay. Shortly after it's departure, it turns slightly and shoots out a single blast in the direction of the base it left behind; the blast hits just the right spot and sets off a chain of explosives, effectively splitting the base in half._

 _The man can sense the screams from in the safety of his ship, but can also sense something else calling him to the outer rim._

I opened my eyes as I fell out of his mind and I looked at him. He looked out towards the window.

"I don't know who I am." He said.

"Who do you want to be?" I asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"My mother called me "Ben"."


	21. Chapter 21

I was regaining consciousness from a meditation when I heard the shuttle door open.

We landed on Aargonar in the early morning. I had looked out the window as we descended and rested my eyes upon a desert terrain that reminded me of Jakku. I'd noticed a town in the distance. The whole scene reminded me of a scene from a movie I'd watched they took place on Tatooine.

"Ben" I said as he stepped through the door. I was still unsure how I felt about calling him by his name, and just as unsure about how he felt about it. He looked at me for a moment then put down the bags he carried.

"I've brought some clothes and some food. We'll have to refuel in the city and I've arranged for a place in a garage to put the ship and a place for us to stay while we get the supplies we need." He told me.

"Okay" I said.

"How did you do all of this?"

"There are quite a few people on this planet who have lingering affiliations the Sith." He pulled off his helmet and revealed a tight bun at the back of his head.

"Are you trying to copy me?" I joked, and a smile I'd never seen before appeared on his lips.

"When it gets hot my hair tends to stick to my neck" he said. He pulled a set of clothes out of a bag and handed them to me.

"Get dressed, we're going to go into town soon." I nodded and took to the fresher.

...

I exited the bedroom after dressing and found him in tan robes, tucking his light saber under his tunic and reminding me of someone whose name I could not place. They complimented my light blue robes nicely, and I hadn't ever seen him in anything other than black.

He noticed me looking over his clothes.

"The markets said this was the best thing to wear to blend in. We don't want anyone recognizing us." He explained.

"That's fine. I don't mind." I said and smiled at him.

"Great. Let's go then." He said, moving to the cockpit and starting the ship.

...

We stepped out of the garage and found a town ablaze with commotion. There were several buildings and table shops on every side of the street; the tarps and coverings over each seller's space created a parade of colors through the entire town. There were people and beings of any species imaginable walking on all parts of the street. I looked about and realized we blended in very well, something I was grateful for.

We walked along the street, observing everything the merchants offered. Items ranged from clothes to desert fruits to even "sith replicas". I chuckled at the latter as I remembered a mention of Aargonar having lingering feelings towards the old empire.

"We need to find food, and a lot of it." He said from my right and I nodded. I followed him to a tent with several tables, with a variety of portions laid out on the front table.

There were even more options on the tables inside the tent; there were portions for soup, bread, meat, vegetables, even alcohol. I held up a portion for blue milk and he nodded, approaching me and calling over one of the sellers in the tent. A male Twi'lek came towards us.

"Yes! What can I do for you? What do you like?" The Twi'lek asked, an enthusiastic look on his face.

"We want to place a fairly large order of portions." He replied and the seller grinned.

"Of course! Name the portion and we have it!" The Twi'lek chirped, motioning to the inventory. I looked about and spoke.

"We'll need some bread, and probably some meat" I said.

"We'll also need meal set rations, soup rations, blue milk rations. We'll need sixty portions of each" he added and the merchant's eyes widened.

"Of course! Let me retrieve your product" the Twi'lek squealed then disappeared behind a tarp. Moments later, several female Twi'lek came from within the tarp and began filling boxes from portion tables around the tent. The merchant appeared shortly after they began working and came towards us.

"For everything you request, it will be 1,500 credits." The seller said. I looked to my left and watched my partner pull out a black pouch with tons of credits inside. As he sorted through the bag, the Twi'lek watched his hand move and looked to the tarp.

"I'm terribly sorry," the seller started.

"I've just remembered we've adjusted our prices recently" he continued.

"And your total will actually be 1,700 credits" he finished and Ben's head flipped up, his eyes growing dark and his hand leaving his pouch.

"What do you mean your prices have gone up? Since I took out my money they went up? Are you serious?" He growled, his hand reaching up. I could sense he was seconds away from Force gripping the neck of the seller.

"Ben!" I yelled and grabbed his arm. He stopped moving and looked at me, first my hand on him then my face. He lowered his extended arm and took a deep breath.

"Fine." He said, throwing the credits onto the table and holding himself back as the satisfaction on the merchant's face grew.

The Twi'lek girls finished stacking our portions in front of us and one girl asked us where we wanted them. Ben mentioned the garage and the girls picked up our boxes. They each totted off in the direction of the ship.

As we exited the tent I looked around at the rest of the market and my heart nearly fell out of my chest.

In the pay window of one of the buildings across the street was Unkar Plutt.

It had been years since I left Jakku. Unkar had tried to keep me in the junkyard and had succeeded for awhile, reassuring me every chance he could that my family would return for me. I think he just wanted me to continue bringing him parts. I was a very good scavenger.

I stopped walking, and Ben noticed. He looked at me and I pointed at the window.

"I know who that is. He'll report us if he sees us." I said and he nodded.

"He'll see us, without a doubt. You'll have to convince him he doesn't know you." He replied.

"How do I do that?"

"Mind trick. Just go up to him, focus on the Force, on his mind, wave your hand and say "you don't know who I am" it might take a try or two but you definitely can handle it."

I looked at him, looked at Unkar, and felt my legs moving forward.

I stepped up to the platform beneath the window and looked him square in the eyes. He looked extremely surprised, and also extremely angry.

"Rey.." he growled, and before I could say anything else, I waved my hand.

"You will forget we ever met" I said as I focused on my words as they entered his ears and his brain processed them.

"I will forget we ever met" he repeated back to me.

"You do not know who I am" I said as I waved my hand again.

"I do not know who you are" he repeated, and I looked to Ben who nodded once.

I stepped off the platform and returned to where he stood.

"Did that work?" I asked and Ben shut his eyes. He flicked them back open and nodded once.


	22. Chapter 22

I was regaining consciousness from a meditation when I heard the shuttle door open.

We landed on Aargonar in the early morning. I had looked out the window as we descended and rested my eyes upon a desert terrain that reminded me of Jakku. I'd noticed a town in the distance. The whole scene reminded me of a scene from a movie I'd watched they took place on Tatooine.

"Ben" I said as he stepped through the door. I was still unsure how I felt about calling him by his name, and just as unsure about how he felt about it. He looked at me for a moment then put down the bags he carried.

"I've brought some clothes and some food. We'll have to refuel in the city and I've arranged for a place in a garage to put the ship and a place for us to stay while we get the supplies we need." He told me.

"Okay" I said.

"How did you do all of this?"

"There are quite a few people on this planet who have lingering affiliations the Sith." He pulled off his helmet and revealed a tight bun at the back of his head.

"Are you trying to copy me?" I joked, and a smile I'd never seen before appeared on his lips.

"When it gets hot my hair tends to stick to my neck" he said. He pulled a set of clothes out of a bag and handed them to me.

"Get dressed, we're going to go into town soon." I nodded and took to the fresher.

...

I exited the bedroom after dressing and found him in tan robes, tucking his light saber under his tunic and reminding me of someone whose name I could not place. They complimented my light blue robes nicely, and I hadn't ever seen him in anything other than black.

He noticed me looking over his clothes.

"The markets said this was the best thing to wear to blend in. We don't want anyone recognizing us." He explained.

"That's fine. I don't mind." I said and smiled at him.

"Great. Let's go then." He said, moving to the cockpit and starting the ship.

...

We stepped out of the garage and found a town ablaze with commotion. There were several buildings and table shops on every side of the street; the tarps and coverings over each seller's space created a parade of colors through the entire town. There were people and beings of any species imaginable walking on all parts of the street. I looked about and realized we blended in very well, something I was grateful for.

We walked along the street, observing everything the merchants offered. Items ranged from clothes to desert fruits to even "sith replicas". I chuckled at the latter as I remembered a mention of Aargonar having lingering feelings towards the old empire.

"We need to find food, and a lot of it." He said from my right and I nodded. I followed him to a tent with several tables, with a variety of portions laid out on the front table.

There were even more options on the tables inside the tent; there were portions for soup, bread, meat, vegetables, even alcohol. I held up a portion for blue milk and he nodded, approaching me and calling over one of the sellers in the tent. A male Twi'lek came towards us.

"Yes! What can I do for you? What do you like?" The Twi'lek asked, an enthusiastic look on his face.

"We want to place a fairly large order of portions." He replied and the seller grinned.

"Of course! Name the portion and we have it!" The Twi'lek chirped, motioning to the inventory. I looked about and spoke.

"We'll need some bread, and probably some meat" I said.

"We'll also need meal set rations, soup rations, blue milk rations. We'll need sixty portions of each" he added and the merchant's eyes widened.

"Of course! Let me retrieve your product" the Twi'lek squealed then disappeared behind a tarp. Moments later, several female Twi'lek came from within the tarp and began filling boxes from portion tables around the tent. The merchant appeared shortly after they began working and came towards us.

"For everything you request, it will be 1,500 credits." The seller said. I looked to my left and watched my partner pull out a black pouch with tons of credits inside. As he sorted through the bag, the Twi'lek watched his hand move in the bag and looked to the tarp.

"I'm terribly sorry," the seller started.

"I've just remembered we've adjusted our prices recently" he continued.

"And your total will actually be 1,700 credits" he finished and Ben's head flipped up, his eyes growing dark and his hand leaving his pouch.

"What do you mean your prices have gone up? Since I took out my money they went up? Are you serious?" He growled, his hand reaching up. I could sense he was seconds away from Force gripping the neck of the seller.

"Ben!" I yelled and grabbed his arm. He stopped moving and looked at me, first my hand on him then my face. He lowered his extended arm and took a deep breath.

"Fine." He said, throwing the credits onto the table and holding himself back as the satisfaction on the merchant's face grew.

The Twi'lek girls finished stacking our portions in front of us and one girl asked us where we wanted them. Ben mentioned the garage and the girls picked up our boxes. They each totted off in the direction of the ship.

As we exited the tent I looked around at the rest of the market and my heart nearly fell out of my chest.

In the pay window of one of the buildings across the street was Unkar Plutt.

It had been years since I left Jakku. Unkar had tried to keep me in the junkyard and had succeeded for awhile, reassuring me every chance he could that my family would return for me. I think he just wanted me to continue bringing him parts. I was a very good scavenger.

I stopped walking, and Ben noticed. He looked at me and I pointed at the window.

"I know who that is. He'll report us if he sees us." I said and he nodded.

"He'll see us, without a doubt. You'll have to convince him he doesn't know you." He replied.

"How do I do that?"

"Mind trick. Just go up to him, focus on the Force, on his mind, wave your hand and say "you don't know who I am" it might take a try or two but you definitely can handle it."

I looked at him, looked at Unkar, and felt my legs moving forward.

I stepped up to the platform beneath the window and looked him square in the eyes. He looked extremely surprised, and also extremely angry.

"Rey.." he growled, and before I could say anything else, I waved my hand.

"You will forget we ever met" I said as I focused on my words as they entered his ears and his brain processed them.

"I will forget we ever met" he repeated back to me.

"You do not know who I am" I said as I waved my hand again.

"I do not know who you are" he repeated, and I looked to Ben who nodded once.

I stepped off the platform and returned to where he stood.

"Did that work?" I asked and Ben shut his eyes. He flicked them back open and nodded once.

...

After spending the majority of the day purchasing supplies and examining the town I was happy to sit down for a moment.

I followed Ben into a building that was short but long. He let me sit in the waiting area while he talked to someone at the desk and gave them a handful of credits. With the amount of credits he seemed to have I could've lived on Jakku and eaten only the best portions for years.

He returned and guided me through a hallway to our room.

We stepped into the room and I looked at the bed for a moment as it occurred to me that Ben and I had never actually slept together.

I assumed he had slept in the bed when I slept in it on the ship, but I was always asleep by the time he would've come in to the room and he was always gone when I woke up. There were many nights where he fell asleep in the pilot's chair.

He put our bags down and spoke, his voice pulling me away from my thoughts.

"Hey" he looked nervous.

"There is a bar, it's called The AT-AT Cantina, in the basement. Would you, want to go?" He asked me.

"Yes" I replied.

...

The bar was dark and dimly lit, but full of activity. The customers were mainly humans and humanoids but there were a few beings about the place. There was low music and a lot of chatter in languages I had never heard. Ben lead me to a chair at the bar that was next to two women with painted faces, talking happily about their home planet.

I stepped up on the stool and Ben called over the bartender. A man with platinum blond hair and a large belly came towards us. Ben ordered and the bartender handed me an ale and handed Ben bourbon.

"So who are you two? I haven't seen you around here before" the bartender asked.

"Ben. Satine, my wife" Ben replied without looking stopping his scan of the room.

"Nice, where are you guys from?"

"Tatooine"

"Ah, so I'm sure this weather came as no surprise!"

"No, none at all."

The man nodded, realizing we didn't want to talk, and stepped away. Ben placed a few credits on the counter and looked at me.

"Where did you get the credits for all of this?" I asked.

"The First Order made sure I had plenty of accommodations."

...

In the corners of The AT-AT Cantina, a scoundrel's skull stirs...

"Hmm.." Unkar grumbles, rubbing his forehead. His companion looks up from their meal.

"What is it? Think of something?" They ask. Unkar sits up, his eyes lighting up at first then darkening upon a realization.

"Yes.. I have." He sneers, his brows pulling together and his resting hand closing into a fist.


	23. Chapter 23

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p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Rey" he whispered as he pulled me into him again. He trailed kisses behind my ear and around my jawline as my robes flew from my body. I quickly shimmied out of my pants and his hands palmed my breasts; I felt my body longing for him, my chest heaving and my clit throbbing. I let out little sighs as he massaged my nipples, the mounds growing and reddening at his touch. I shifted my hips, my wetness leaving remnants on his class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""You want me that bad, don't you?" He teased as his fingers felt the damp spot my slit had made on his leg. His fingers grazed my aching clit as they pressed into me. I gasped at the feeling of his digits inside me, my need for him growing. He moved another finger inside me and rubbed against my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Ben.." I moaned as his hands moved around my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Not yet, baby" he whispered in my ear, my body jolting at the way his voice made me feel. He grinned and I felt his fingers leave my inside and grab my hips. He threw me onto the bed and I landed with a thud. With his eyes glued to me, he approached the class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Fuck" he groaned, willing my legs apart. He looked at me for a moment and began to pull his tunic over his head, then his undershirt, then dropped his pants. His shoulders and his arms showed a deep definition and his chest was broad and littered with little black hairs. There were scars from various battles along his ribs and his chest, and more recent wounds on his right arm. He had prominent laterals and a strong core, along with a dark happy trail that led to his erect cock. As his chest heaved and tiny beads of sweat tickled his pecks, I took in the breathtaking sight with the realization that this was the only time I'd ever seen him completely class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1"He climbed over me, his bare chest rubbing against my breasts and stimulating my nipples as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. He kissed me so sweetly, and I reached up and touched his chest. The skin was rough to the touch and when my hand skimmed over one of the marks, he flinched slightly. I ran my hands along his biceps and his shoulders, exploring every part of him that was new to me. I felt the tip of his cock being pressed against my leg, and I opened my legs wider as he thrusted himself inside of me. I gasped as he filled me, his thick and needy cock sliding into me as he thrusted his hips against class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""My god," he murmured through kisses. Locks of his hair tumbled into his face but he paid no mind to them as he pressed himself deeper inside me. He grabbed my hips and lifted them with one hand, pushing his entire shaft into me. His cock slid against my walls and I moaned, my cunt dampening as he fucked me. My fingers dug into the sheets as he pulled back slightly and filled me again, the sensation sending pricks up my back. I could feel his balls tapping lightly against my ass as his hips pressed to mine. I sensed him nearing the edge, his thrusts becoming unsteady and his eyes scrunching shut. He shoved his dick inside me and yelled out, his warm cum shooting into me. He pulled himself out and looked at me, his chest heaving. He took a few breaths and sat back, looking at my face for only a few moments before his eyes drifted down my neck to my untouched nipples, to the curve of the bottom of my breast, to my belly, to my thighs spread for him, and to my dripping class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1"He kissed my lips briefly before he began trailing kisses down my jawline to my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /spanHe sucked the skin just above my collarbone and I sighed, his lips so sweet on my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1"He shifted down and rested his lips on my chest. He alternated from teasing my nipples with his teeth and pressing them together and running his tongue between them; I pushed my chest up so his face was found deeper in my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1"After leaving a trail of saliva along my breasts, he slid his tongue down my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1"He moved onto his knees and put his face near my slit. I could feel his breath against my lips as it sent chills up my spine and caused my pussy to quiver. He class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""So wet," he whispered, sliding his tongue between my folds and licking my cunt from bottom to top. I wailed, my back arching at the feeling of his wet tongue teasing my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""What a sweet little bud" he groaned into me as his lips closed around my clit. He sucked on it and my hips shifted, the pleasure so intense I couldn't keep myself class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Aaah, Ben.." I moaned as he sucked my pussy. His tongue slid around my sex and dipped into my entrance, sucking up throngs of wetness. It moved out and he rested on my nub, tonguing it expertly and taking care not to miss an inch of sensitive skin. He moaned into my folds and the vibrations drove me close to the edge. All I could think about were his lips sucking hard on my reddened, swollen clit. I couldn't focus on anything but his tongue slipping in and out of my drenched entrance. I bucked my hips slightly, grinding my pussy on his face as I felt my entire body tense, my cunt quivering and my body begging him to push me over the class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Come on, baby" he edged me, flicking his tongue up and down on my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Oh Ben!" I moaned as my entire body felt a shock and I felt myself fall into the most wonderful orgasm I'd ever experienced. I moaned and whined as I came, and Ben's face was dripping when he pulled it out of my class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p1" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1"I laid back on the bed and he wiped his face. He crawled into the bed next to me and laid on his back, his eyes looking to the ceiling and his hands resting behind his head. He shut his eyes and his brows pulled together slightly, and I watched his chest rise and fall in controlled movements. His arm muscles looked tensed and his jaw looked tight to his class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Ben.." I said, rolling onto my side. His whole body flinched ever so slightly at my movement towards class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""What's wrong?" I class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Nothing. That was nice." He class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""It was nice, but you seem upset."/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""I'm not upset. I don't want to talk about it."/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""Talking about it is good, it'll help you deal with whatever's upsetting you."/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""That's the problem," he started, his voice harsh and his hands leaving the back of his head and moving down by his class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""I don't know what's upsetting me. I don't know if I'm upset. I don't know how I feel at all. I know anger and rejection and fear, but I don't know how I feel when I don't feel these things. I don't know how I feel right now. Talking about it won't help because I don't know what to talk about. I don't understand what is going on with me, I don't understand why I've done the things I've done, or even why I'm here. Every decision I've made to get here has been fueled by feelings that I don't understand. I feel them come over me and I can't figure them out, and I think that it's because I think love you," he stopped and sighed./span/p  
p class="m_-4992293676977093283p2" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"span class="m_-4992293676977093283s1""I love you."span class="m_-4992293676977093283Apple-converted-space" /span/span/p 


	24. Chapter 24

I woke to the quiet hum of Ben's breathing and the harsh light of the sun shining unopposed into the otherwise dimly lit room. I moved my head slightly and felt Ben's chest hair brush against my cheek. I wasn't sure how I ended up falling asleep on him, it seemed odd and I felt like I'd invaded a personal space boundary that was only ever implied. I tried to recall that the events of the evening and I felt my heart skip a beat. That's right, I could remember now. The bar, Ben, coming here, having sex, him telling me he loves me, having sex again...it all seemed too absurd to be true. Then again, just over a month ago I was on Starkiller, doing my job without a care in the world.

I felt him stir under me, and his eyes suddenly opened. He looked down at me under a half-lidded gaze and when I went to move I felt his arms around me, holding me in place. It felt weird here, and I felt goosebumps emerge as his hold tightened around me. His eyes fell shut.

"I don't think anyone's ever been this close to me." He mumbled. I flinched at the sound of his voice. What?

"I don't think I've slept in a bed with someone either. I don't mind it with you." He said, and I felt my heart lurch in my chest.

"We should go to the ship and prepare for departure. " he finished. I pulled myself off of him and he sat up against the headboard. I trotted to the fresher and flicked on the water.

…

"Okay, this should be everything. We should be going soon." Ben said as he zipped up a brown duffel filled with our dirty robes and our first order suits. I pulled a fresh tunic over my head and tugged my hair into three tight buns.

We stepped out of the deep inn and onto a street busier than the day before. There were creatures in almost every available space to stand, and each tent seemed filled to the brim. The sun was especially harsh; the moment I set foot out of the shade I could feel it slowly boiling my skin.

Ben rested one hand on my shoulder and pointed in the direction of the garage with the other. I nodded and stepped into the sea of people. Despite all of the activity around us, I could sense Ben's Force signature burning bright from behind me. I could sense something else, a familiar but uncertain disturbance in the usual sensations that radiated through the town. I sensed an acknowledgment through the Force from Ben but we kept our pursuit towards the garage.

We were mere steps away when I sensed a blaster shot flying from behind me. I spun around in time to stretch out my hand and force it back. The creatures all around us scattered as more shots fired out. Ben's lightsaber ignited with a loud crack as stormtroopers appeared on the roofs, by the tents, on the tops of vehicles, from inside shops. I saw Unkar seated in the back of a speeder as the driver pulled up to the scene. This was bad.

"We need to get to the ship!" Ben yelled as more and more troopers began to attack. I reached behind me for my staff but quickly remembered I'd left it on the ship. I had to do something else.

I cartwheeled sideways and landed just behind Ben as a stormtrooper tried to grab me. I rose and sent a kick to the helmet of another one as Ben sliced a third in two and crouched to deflect more shots. I shut my eyes and felt my face scrunching as I focused on the Force. I focused on ice, on the snow that patterned Starkiller's mountains, on how soft and cool it was to the touch, and on how I had found myself dreaming of it almost immediately after I'd set foot on Argonar.

I held my arm out over Ben's shoulder and felt a wall build up in front of us as I watched the blaster shots start to bounce back. Ben rotated on his heel from beneath me and grabbed my waist, hoisting me up over his shoulder so I could hold the wall in place while he made haste into the garage.

Once we got inside he gripped the door and shoved it shut then put me down. We ran to the bay and stormed towards the shuttle. As we ran up the platform and into the main room, First Order troopers came running into the bay from all sides. I Fore-pushed a blaster shot as the platform door shut.

Ben was already seated and turning on the ship when I got to the cockpit. I jumped into the copilot's chair and helped him ready the ship for flight. There were alarms ringing throughout the bay and vibrant red lights flashing all around us. This ship lifted and we peeled off of the planet, only to see several other ships lift off from outside the garage and follow us.

"Go to the back pit, there's controls for the cannons down there." Ben ordered and I did as he told.

I flew down the steps and fired up the cannons. there were far too many to be manned by one person, so I picked the centermost and grabbed the handles. I could see our speed picking up as the surface of Argonar became smaller and smaller, but the ships followed us nonetheless. I fired a few shots and tugged on my headset.

"There's quite a bit of them on our tail" I said into it.

"There's a lot ahead of us too. There's two battlecruisers and a lot of TIEs" He replied.

We entered the space above Argonar and the shuttle spun a few times as shots rang out around it. It didn't fly with as much speed as some of the better ships in the galaxy, but it dodged easily and smoothly.

The ship spun again and I found myself pointed at the immense squadron of ships that the First Order had sent. Ben wasn't kidding, there were a ton.

I started taking down TIE fighters as Ben weaved the ship in and around the barricade. I slid my seat to one side and operated some of the cannons on the left, sending a few larger shots into clusters of TIEs. We swooped around Argonar's moons and sent some of the forces on our tail smashing into the rocks.

Ben sent the ship into barrel rolls as I shot at the battlecruiser's shield generators at the top of the ship. They exploded with a orangish boom. He flipped the ship in time for me to shoot out one of the ion engines and I heard Ben mumble sounds of approval through the microphone. We swooped below it and he shot out the reactor from the front cannons without missing a beat. As the battlecruiser fell I couldn't help but wonder where he learned to fly so well.

The TIE fighters kept coming but Ben managed to take out the reinforcement ship that floated near the other battlecruiser.

"If we want to make it out of here we'll need to take down that other destroyer" Ben barked into the microphone.

"It's got TIEs all around it so we'll need to think of something good." He finished. I looked about as we flew around Argonar. There were ships swarming the planet and the moons and debris was everywhere. I looked to Argonar's smallest moon and a thought crossed my mind.

"how strong is our strongest cannon?" I asked him.

"It's on your side, it is the one with the white handle and the silver button. I think it's on the left. It's got enough power to blow up a small planet, but if we use it we'll only be able to use the smaller cannons until we land." He instructed me and I slid my chair over to where it was. I gripped the handles and rested my thumbs just above the buttons.

"I have an idea" I told him.

"what is it?"

"fly past that small red moon to your left and fight the TIEs from there. When the Battlecruiser gets close enough, Turn the ship to it's side and then go into light speed." I told him.

"If I go into light speed and one of these ships doesn't get hit with our cannon we'll be followed!" He exclaimed.

"Trust the Force! This will work." I told him and I heard him grumble.

We sped towards the planet and I felt our ship lift as Ben dodged the moon and the TIE's didn't. More came swarming over the moon in our pursuit and I shot them down as they came, the mob of ships slowly moving it's center away from Argonar.

Ben flipped the ship a few times to keep the lure in place and I watched the wings on the sides adjust for the upcoming blast off. I shut down most of my cannons and directed the blaster energy towards the largest cannon. I shut my eyes and sensed each shot as it swirled out of the tips of the laser shooters on the fighters and launched into space. I focused on the lack of oxygen around the blast, on the velocity of the beam as it whirled it's way towards us. I focused on each TIE, sensing them through the debris that clouded the eye's vision. I sensed the battlecruiser, I sensed the fuel that erupted through it's engines and the many layers of protection placed there only from years of exploded star destroyers. I could sense the Force flowing through me, tickling the undersides of my skin and wrapping it's arms around my skull. I felt it creeping under my eyelids and tugging at my fingertips. I focused on the Force. I was one with the Force.

I opened my eyes and the ships had moved. The TIEs all seemed to be centered around the moon, the battlecruiser moving towards the plethora of fighters for support.

"now!" I yelled to Ben and the ship turned. I fired the cannon and watched it hit the moon and explode. I felt every soul on every First Order ship within range disappear as the moon's destruction took it's toll and our ship hit light speed.


	25. Chapter 25

div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"I began to stir as the final bars of the last song in the credits rang through my ears. I looked through a half lidded gaze at the words as they rolled down the screen. I blinked a few times and felt something in my lap shift. I looked down and found my legs had entangled themselves in a thick blanket, undoubtedly one from one of the bunk beds. I pulled it up to my chest and looked around. Ben wasn't in sight. I assumed I fell asleep on the couch; I couldn't remember what holovid I was watching. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"I shut my eyes and sensed a presence on the ship. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""You couldn't have just called for me?" I jumped as I heard a voice from behind me. I turned around and smiled at Ben. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""How did you sleep?" He asked, stepping towards me. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Fine, I suppose. I don't remember falling asleep" I replied. When he reached me, he gently tugged my flopping buns out from the back of my head. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Hmm. You slept for awhile. Almost three hours." he said. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Three hours!" I exclaimed. My hair fell and hit my shoulders. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Yes," he laughed. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""I didn't want to disturb you. You were being very quiet." He finished. My face fell. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Quiet. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"My mind shot back to the feeling of dread that hit me as the moon exploded, for that was the moment that I realized I had been sending the presence of every being around me without even realizing it. It wasn't brought into my conscious until all of the people around me died, until all presence was gone. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Until my mind became quiet. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"I supposed that was what it would feel like to be on a deserted planet. One far enough in the unknown regions that you couldn't sense those on the next nearest planet very easily. Only, I was rather close. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"His brow furrowed. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""What is it?" He asked. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Nothing. I just keep thinking about earlier." I sighed and he shook his head. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""It was either we kill them or they kill us. You know that." /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""I know, it just feels wrong. They were just doing their jobs." /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""And we were just trying to survive." /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"I pursed my lips. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""I don't want to kill anymore." I said and he laughed. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""You sound like a Jedi." He replied. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""I don't want to. I'm serious." /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""That's ok, you don't have to. I'll kill for you." He said and kissed my forehead. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""We'll be landing soon. Take everything off the ship, I'll be stowing it out of sight so we won't be able to get to it for awhile." He told me as he walked back to the cockpit. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;".../div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"I held the straps of my backpack as I shifted on the metal vent that rested next to the shuttle door. I was anxious to leave, I had never been to such a busy city as coruscant. My mind was buzzing with activity; I wanted to explore the entire planet. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"Ben told me we'd need to create new identities. It was expected. I'd agreed to keep my hair down most of the time, to throw off any onlookers. Ben would keep his hair up. I felt as though we'd switched. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"He appeared from the cockpit and smiled at me. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Are you ready?" He asked, and I nodded. He clicked the drop button and as the door slid down, he took my hand. /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /div  
div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;""Well, Mrs. Kenobi, welcome to Coruscant." /div 


End file.
